UC-NRLF 


N  IN 


B   M   MHD   tOM 


Lessons  to  Teachers  in  the 
Instruction  of  Parents 

Three  Free  Lessons  to  Parents 


By  A.   K.   VIRGIL 


Truth  should  be  the  first 
lesson  to  a  child." 

PFhittier. 


p-ight,  1907,  by  A.  K.  Virgil.     Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London,  England. 
All  rights  reserved. 

►lished  by  A.  K.  Virgil,  1002  Fuller  Building,  New  York 


EDUCATION  IN 
MUSIC 

Lessons  to  Teachers  in  the 
Instruction  of  Parents 

Three  Free  Lessons  to  Parents 


By  A.   K.   VIRGIL 


"Truth  should  be  the  first 
lesson  to  a  child.'* 

JVhittier, 


Price  25  Cents 


Copyright,  1907,  by  A.  K.  Virgil.     Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London,  England. 
All  rights  reserved. 

Published  by  A.  K.  Virgil,  1002  Fuller  Building,  New  York 


BERKELEY 
MUSIC  LIBRARY 

UNIVfcRSITY  O*- 


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HAL 

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£''""X5L£Y 

t^UClO  LILRARY 

UNJVcRSITY  OF 
CAUFORNIA 


Mr 


A   LEGITIMATE    DESIRE 


MUSIC  TEACHERS,  as  do  other  people,  like  to 
succeed  in  their  occupation,  which  is  a  perfectly 
legitimate  desire.  They  are  always  anxious  to 
teach  a  method  in  which  they  find  interest  and 
encouragement,  and  one  in  which  they  believe;  one,  too, 
in  which  the  public  believes;  for,  if  the  public  disbelieve, 
the  teachers'  interests  are  sure  to  suffer  more  or  less. 

Teachers  not  infrequently  find  diflficulty  in  following  faith- 
fully a  system  in  their  teaching  which  they  know  to  be  right, 
because  a  musically  unintelligent  public  fails  to  appreciate 
its  correctness;  consequently,  the  teacher,  unless  he  chances 
to  be  possessed  of  more  than  average  persuasive  powers, 
feels  compelled  to  sacrifice  his  own  opinion  to  that  of  others, 
and  particularly  to  the  opinion  of  dissenting  parents,  or 
take  the  risk  of  losing  a  pupil,  and,  worse  still,  reputation. 
"We  have  got  to  show  results  or  lose  pupils,"  they  say. 
Very  true;  but  now  comes  the  question:  What  are  results? 
If  by  results  are  meant  real  intelligent  musical  knowledge 
and  technical  skill — limited,  of  course,  to  the  length  of 
time  the  pupil  has  been  under  instruction  — that  is 
one  thing;  but  if  by  results  is  meant  the  playing,  in  the 
ordinary  slipshod  fashion,  of  a  goodly  number  of  pieces, 
if  such  be  the  results  that  will  insure  a  teacher  against  the 
loss  of  pupils,  better  by  far  lose  them  and  keeps  one's  self- 
respect  and  enjoy  the  blessing  of  a  clear  conscience.  The 
teacher  who  feels  otherwise  is  a  business  schemer  rather 
than  a  teacher.  Better  be  both  a  business  schemer  and 
a  teacher  combined. 

Assuming  that  a  teacher  is  really  anxious  to  do  his  duty 
and  the  ignorance  of  parents  stands  in  the  way,  in  which 
case  either  the  intelligent  desire  of  the  teacher  or  the  igno- 
rant desire  of  parents  must  prevail,  would  it  not  be  both 
wise  and  just  for  the  teacher  to  put  his  business  scheming 
propensity  to  work  in  the  right  direction  and  educate  the 
parents — more  frequently  the  mother — to  the  truth?  The 
teacher  who  takes  this  course  will  be  turning  his  powers 
as  a  business  schemer  to  good  account.  Anyone  has  a  per- 
fect right  to  scheme,  and,  too,  for  his  personal  good,  when 


1(>64?5 


there  exists  the  consciousness  that  other  people  are  being 
ten  times  more  benefited,  as  in  this  case,  than  is  the  schemer 
himself.  In  this  matter,  the  teacher  should  have  his  way. 
It  always  takes  business  scheming  to  have  one's  own  way. 
In  this  work — the  education  of  parents — it  is  the  aim  to  make 
teachers  business  schemers  to  the  extent  of  having  their 
own  way  in  doing  right  and  in  benefiting  themselves,  and 
at  the  same  time  benefiting  their  pupils  infinitely  more. 

Piano  Study  Not  a  Trifling  Matter 

The  study  of  the  piano  is  a  branch  of  education  which 
doubtless  interests  a  larger  percentage  of  intelligent  and  re- 
fined people  than  are  interested  in  any  other  one  branch  of 
learning;  furthermore,  it  is  an  educational  work  which, 
when  pursued  to  a  high  degree  of  artistic  proficiency,  or 
as  a  matter  of  successful  business,  is  one  of  the  most  taxing 
from  an  intellectual,  a  physical  and  a  i  financial  point  of 
view  of  any  branch  of  education.  There  ought,  in  justice  to 
truth,  to  art,  to  learners  and  to  teachers,  who  are  obliged  to 
earn  a  living  and  who  understand  and  are  anxious  to  teach 
correct  principles,  we  say  there  ought  to  be  some  way  by 
which  public  sentiment  can  be  changed  from  a  wrong  to  a 
right  understanding  and  appreciation  of  correct  methods  of 
instruction  in  this  important  line  of  study.  It  is  to  secure 
this  end  that  the  plan  of  giving  special  free  lessons  to 
parents  has  been  adopted. 

Complete  knowledge  and  mastery  of  a  work  so  vast  in  its 
proportions  as  the  art  of  teaching  a  great  art  which  presents 
first  of  all  an  intellectual,  then  a  mechanical  and  finally  an 
emotional  side,  never  comes  to  one  who  in  learning  allows 
the  emotional  to  precede,  indeed  supersede,  the  intellectual 
and  mechanical,  as  is  the  case  generally  in  teaching  the 
piano.  It  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  understand  why  so  many 
piano  teachers  are  often  at  sea  as  to  "what  to  teach."  They 
have  been  taught  music  by  musicians,  not  by  educators. 

There  are  teachers  who  understand  and  earnestly  believe 
in  the  Clavier  principles  who  cannot  understand  why  the 
system  does  not  meet  the  general  and  hearty  approval  of 
all  learners  and  patrons  of  music.  There  are  reasonable  rea- 
sons, indeed  many  of  them,  for  this  condition  of  things, 
but  as  this  appeal  is  designed  only  for  teachers,  and  those, 
too,  of  the  Clavier  Method,  the  reasons  here  given  will  be 
confined  to  subjects  which  directly  interest  and  concern 
them.     (See  "Incompetent  Work  of  Teachers,"  p.  9.) 


Aim  of  this  Booklet 

The  writer  aims  in  this  booklet  to  bring  before  teachers 
who  are  interested  in  the  movement  of  educating  parents  the 
plan  to  be  pursued,  with  the  hope  that  through  the  united 
efforts  of  Clavier  teachers  the  general  good  here  contem- 
plated may  be  accomplished.  He  accordingly  asks  the  active, 
not  the  passive,  co-operation  of  all  Clavier  teachers.  He 
will  be  pleased  to  hear  from  any  who  have  suggestions  to 
offer  or  questions  to  ask,  and  who  are  interested-  to  qualify 
themselves  to  become  co-workers  in  the  cause  in  their  re- 
spective localities. 

Before  submitting  to  teachers  for  their  consideration 
the  system  proposed  for  the  carrying  out  of  the  work  of  in- 
structing parents  and  the  questions  presented  for  the  parents* 
classes,  certain  important  matters  intimately  connected  with 
Clavier  work,  past  efforts  and  present  conditions,  the  rea- 
sons for  adopting  the  plan  of  instructing  parents,  the  ends 
sought,  etc.,  must  be  dwelt  upon  at  some  length. 

A   Question   Frequently  Asked 

Teachers  from  far  and  near  are  asking:  "What  can  be 
done  to  awaken  a  more  general  interest  in  the  Clavier 
Method?  I  am,"  they  say,  "often  compelled  to  lose  a  pupil 
or  make  concessions  in  my  teaching,  which  I  know  are  abso- 
lutely wrong;  but  I  must  live,  so  what  am  I  to  do?"  I 
answer:  Make  the  principles  of  the  method  known,  for  no 
one  who  is  honest  and  who  actually  knows  them  ever  op- 
poses them.  "No  one  ever  does  wrong  who  is  both  honest 
and  intelligent." 

Who  May  Teach  the  Parents'  Classes? 

Teachers  will  not  be  expected  to  give  the  lessons  to 
parents  until  they  are  thoroughly  prepared  to  do  so.  Pre- 
pared means,  first  that  teachers  must  understand  the 
method  thoroughly,  and  must  have  had  a  good  deal  of  ex- 
perience in  teaching  pupils  before  undertaking  to  teach  their 
parents. 

The  questions  that  have  been  prepared  for  the  parents' 
classes  and  the  principles  taught  in  connection  with  them, 
will  condemn  the  work  of  teachers  who  are  doing 
slipshod  teaching;  so  first  of  all  get  right  yourselves, 
study    the    questions,    and    if    you    see    that    they    include 


principles  you  have  neglected  be  sure  to  correct,  if 
possible,  the  oversight  with  your  pupils  before  you 
start  a  parents'  class,  I  say,  if  possible,  because  you  will 
doubtless  not  be  able  to  do  in  your  teaching,  at  least  with 
all  pupils,  all  the  things  found  in  the  parents'  course,  so 
at  the  parents'  lessons  if  you  come  across  things  which,  for 
any  reason,  you  have  not  taught,  give  the  question  to  the 
parents'  class,  explain  its  object  and  importance,  and  then 
say:  "I  have  been  unable  to  make  proper  use  of  this  exercise 
in  my  teaching."  Then  give  the  reasons  which  will  be  your 
justification  for  the  omission.  "This  exercise,"  for  example 
explain,  "requires  a  Clavier;  if  a  pupil  does  not  have  one, 
all  I  can  do  is  to  show  it  on  my  Clavier  at  the  lesson,  but 
this  is  not  sufficient;  daily  practice  is  what  is  needed.  The 
clicks  in  the  beginning,  if  rightly  used,"  you  can  boldly  as- 
sert, "are  a  perfectly  intelligent  guide  to  the  fingers;  any 
thoughtful  pupil  who  uses  the  Clavier  for  daily  practice 
will  get  his  fingers  under  better,  that  is  more  accurate  and 
intelligent  control  during  the  first  term  than  most  people 
do  in  a  year  or  even,  in  many  cases,  a  much  longer  time. 
A  pupil's  progress  depends  chiefly  upon  his  own  personal 
knowledge  of  the  correctness  or  otherwise  of  the  movements 
of  his  fingers,  and  this  knowledge  comes  from  a  right  use 
of  the  clicks;  therefore,  every  learner  ought  to  use  the 
Clavier  every  day." 

Teachers  and  Claviers  Compared 

(N.B. — The  remarks  under  this  heading  are  only  for  the 
teacher.) 

The  clicks  of  the  Clavier  have  not  the  value  just  claimed 
for  them  unless  they  are  in  good  working  order.  Many 
teachers  are  very  neglectful  with  regard  to  keeping  the  clicks 
properly  regulated.  The  writer,  during  the  past  two  years, 
has  been  traveling  about  a  great  deal  visiting  different  sec- 
tions and  countries;  he  intends  to  continue  this  work  for 
some  time  to  come.  He  often  finds  Claviers  in  so  bad  a 
condition  that  the  clicks  are  of  no  practical  value  to  any  one. 
He  occasionally  finds  teachers  with  Claviers  in  excellent 
working  order.  Now  this  difference  is  not  in  the  Clavier 
or  in  the  climate,  but  in  the  teacher.  The  teacher  whose 
Clavier  is  in  order  is  one  who  realizes  the  value  of  the 
clicks  and  who  uses  them.  He,  or  more  often  she,  pos- 
sesses a  disposition  of  thoroughness,  coupled  with  good 
mechanical  sense,  and  having  carefully  studied  the  directions 


found  on  the  inside  of  the  top  of  the  case  of  the  instrument, 
and  having  learned  how  simple  a  matter  it  is  to  keep  the 
clicks  in  working  order,  occasionally  when  an  up-click  clat- 
ters, or  a  down-click  comes  too  easily  or  too  hard,  at  once 
puts  it  in  order.  Some  teachers  read  the  directions,  study 
into  the  mechanism  of  the  instrument  a  little,  then  show 
the  piano  tuner  about  it  and  get  him  to  handle  the  screw- 
driver for  them,  and  thus  the  Clavier  is  to  them  and  their 
pupils  the  useful  and  valuable  instrument  it  is  intended  to  be. 

There  is  far  greater  difference  in  people,  I  find,  than 
in  Claviers.  The  Clavier  is  simple  in  construction,  and  dura- 
ble, but  it  is  made  of  nature's  materials,  consequently,  like 
everything  else,  it  needs  a  little  attention.  A  piano  needs 
tuning  and  repairing  frequently;  a  clock  must  be  cleaned, 
regulated  and  wound;  even  the  pavement  in  the  street  needs 
care,  and  why  should  anyone  think  a  Practice  Clavier  ought 
to  do  the  exact  work  assigned  it  and  never  need  a  screw 
turned  or  to  be  kept  in  a  reasonably  dry  place,  or  to  be 
closed  when  not  in  use  to  keep  the  dust  out.  We  have  in 
our  school  Claviers  that  have  been  in  use  ten  years 
or  more,  and  they  are  as  serviceable  now  as  ever  they  were. 
Once  or  twice  a  year  they  are  looked  over,  and,  if  nec- 
essary, a  little  regulating  is  done.  Five  or  ten  minutes  at  a 
time,  once  or  twice  a  year,  keeps  them  in  working  order. 
When  they  are  not  in  use  they  are  kept  closed. 

Will  our  Clavier  teachers  not  keep  their  Claviers  in  such 
condition  that  the  up-clicks  can  always  be  used  either  sepa- 
rately or  with  the  down-clicks?  The  Clavier  is  not  an  orna- 
ment, and  it  makes  no  music;  indeed,  it  is  comparatively  a 
useless  thing  if  it  is  not  kept  in  condition  to  do  the  work 
of  getting  the  intelligence  of  the  learner  and  player  into 
his  fingers. 

The  up-clicks  alone  ought  to  be  used  every  day  in  passage 
work,  crossings,  scales  and  arpeggios  by  pupils,  as  soon  as 
they  get  so  far  along,  and  advanced  players  ought  to  prac- 
tise the  up-click  scales  and  arpeggios,  perhaps  not  daily, 
but  frequently — at  least  once  a  week.  Those  who  wish  to 
keep  On  improving  the  quality,  clearness,  smoothness,  even- 
ness and  perfect  flow  of  their  passage  execution,  ought  at 
least  once  a  week  to  spend  a  few  moments  in  scale  and 
arpeggio  practice  with  the  up-clicks  alone,  then  in  compari- 
son should  use  the  down-clicks  alone  and  occasionally  the 
double  clicks,  and  then  should  go  to  the  piano  and  see 
how  musically  perfect  the  passage  effects  produced  are. 
(Read   what    is    said   upon    the    subject   of    Up-Click   Scale 


Practice  in  Book  II,  F.  E.,  pages  ii  and  24.)  The  arpeggios 
ought  also  to  be  practiced  with  the  up-clicks  alone.  More 
will  be  found  in  Step  by  Step,  Vol  II,  upon  this  subject. 
(N.  B. — The  writer  regrets  to  say  to  teachers  that  Vol. 
II  of  Step  by  Step  cannot  be  issued  for  some  months  yet 
owing  to  press  of  other  duties.) 

No  teacher,  pupil  or  player  is  ever  able  to  get  any  ma- 
terial good  out  of  the  Clavier  unless  the  instrument  is  kept 
in  proper  working  order,  and  when  this  is  so  easily  done  it 
seems  strange  that  any  one  interested  in  Clavier  work 
should  be  at  all  neglectful  in  the  matter. 

Pieces  versus  Exercises 

"Another  reason,"  it  may  be  explained,  "than  absence  of 
Clavier  that  may  be  assigned  for  my  neglecting  certain 
principles  and  exercises,  is  that  pupils  do  not  enjoy  technical 
exercises  and  object  to  practicing  them,  at  least  they  enjoy 
pieces  better,  and  the  influence  of  their  associates  who 
take  lessons  from  teachers  who  give  no  such  exercises  but 
lots  of  pieces  is  all  in  favor  of  the  latter  course  and  decidedly 
against  the  use  of  exercises  of  this  character."  Say  to 
the  parents'  class:  "I  cannot  look  to  the  mothers  or  fathers 
of  my  pupils  for  assistance  in  influencing  them  in  the  right 
direction,  thus  I  am  obliged  to  pass  important  principles 
over,  and  do  the  best  I  can  without  them.  Parents,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  often  agree  with  their  children  that  it  is  more 
agreeable  all  around  to  have  them  spend  their  time  on  pieces 
rather  than  on  dry  studies,  so  with  my  pupils,  their  asso- 
ciates, other  teachers  and  their  parents  all  against  me,  I 
frequently  find  myself  obliged  to  neglect  what  I  know  to  be 
my  duty.  Now  the  reason,"  say  to  the  parents'  class,  "that 
I  give  the  lessons  to  you  is  to  have  you  understand  these 
points,  for  if  you  do  I  am  sure  you  will  be  most  anxious  to 
help  me,  or  any  teacher  who  teaches  correct  principles.  The 
fact  is,  a  child  who  is  rightly  taught  will,  through  the  efforts 
of  the  teacher,  seconded  by  an  intelligent  home  influence, 
accomplish  more  in  one  year  than  is  ordinarily  accomplished 
in  three  or  four  times  that  time,  and  if  the  right  work 
is  continued  for  five  years,  the  pupil  will  be  a  better  player, 
a  more  intelligent  musician,  and  better  qualified  to  teach 
than  the  same  person  would  be  in  a  whole  lifetime  under 
the  ordinary  unmethodical  musical  training.  If  parents 
are  interested  in  this  work  and  will  help  me  to  form  as 
an   outgrowth   of   the   parents'   class   or   classes,   a   Musical 

8 


I 


Art  Promotion  Club,  as  has  been  formed  elsewhere,  I  will 
agree  to  give  to  them  one  free  lesson  a  week  provided  they 
will  assist  me  in  getting  the  parents  together.  In  connection 
with  the  Club,  as  a  part  of  it,  we  will  once  a  quarter — 
say  four  times  a  year — give  a  musical  entertainment  to  dem- 
onstrate results  obtained,  and  to  prove  whether  the  Musical 
Art  Promotion  Club  is  really  promoting  art  or  not.  If 
a  club  of  this  character  can  be  established  in  our  city,  by 
the  time  the  work  has  been  in  progress  three  years  we  shall 
have  home  players  of  whom  we  may  justly  be  proud,  and 
I  am  sure  there  will  be  no  desire  on  the  part  of  parents 
or  pupils  to  return  to  old  methods,  or  rather  to  the  old  no- 
method  scheme.  When  our  people  realize  fully  the  impor- 
tance of  education  in  music  they  will  demand  education 
in  music,  and  the  Musical  Art  Promotion  Club  will  be  an 
acknowledged  power  for  good."  (Read  under  heading  "Musi- 
cal Art  Promotion  Club,"  p.  21.) 

Incompetent  Work  of  Teachers 

To  return  to  the  teachers. 

Great  but,  it  is  hoped,  not  lasting  harm  has  come  to 
the  Clavier  System  through  the  incompetent  work  of  reputed 
Clavier  teachers.  The  words  of  Knowlson  come  to  mind  as  I 
write:  "A  small  error,"  he  says,  "can  upset  the  best  system 
ever  conceived."  The  writer  is  learning  more  and  more  thor- 
oughly   every   day   the    truth    of   this    saying   of    Knowlson. 

Six  Classes  of  Teachers 

Observation  has  made  it  clear  to  the  writer  that  there  are 
at  least  six  classes  of  teachers  who  are  engaged  in  Clavier 
work.     To  designate,  we  will  divide  them  as  follows: 

Class  A  may  represent  those  who  have  received  very 
little  instruction,  who  have  not  gone  far  enough  in  their 
studies  to  do  more  than  make  a  start  in  the  work  of  teach- 
ing, yet  have  gone  on  for  years  trying  to  teach  advanced 
principles  as  best  they  could  without  really  knowing  them 
themselves. 

Class  B  represents  those  who  have  been  instructed  by 
certain  presumptuous  teachers  who  never  had  a  lesson  from 
an  authorized  teacher  of  the  system.  The  presumptuous 
teachers  and  their  innocent  products  are  properly  classed 
together. 


Class  C  represents  certain  teachers  of  a  decidedly  busi- 
ness turn  of  mind  who  make  use  of  the  name  Clavier 
Method,  sandwiched  in  with  two  or  three  other  well  known 
and  more  or  less  popular  methods,  not  because  they  under- 
stand or  appreciate  the  Clavier  System,  but  as  an  advertis- 
ing dodge,  calculated  to  lead  innocent  people  who  are  igno- 
rant of  all  piano  methods  to  infer  that  a  teacher  who  uses 
so  many  methods  must,  of  course,  be  a  superior  teacher. 

Such  work  as  that  done  by  the  three  classes  of  teachers 
described,  it  goes  without  saying,  is  very  damaging,  not  only 
to  the  method  itself,  but  to  the  cause  of  Education  in  Music. 
The  truth  is,  the  Clavier  Method  is  the  only  method  for 
the  piano  that  is  constructed  upon  and  that  follows  from 
beginning  to  end  educational  principles,  indeed  in  no  other 
piano  system  is  it  possible  to  employ  such  principles;  hence, 
if  the  Clavier  Method  must  suffer  defeat,  so  must  the  doc- 
trine that  in  learning  music  and  the  art  of  piano  playing  true 
educational  principles  should  be  employed. 

There  are  certain  teachers  whom  we  will  designate  as  be- 
longing to  Class  D,  who  claim  to  make  the  Clavier  a  sort 
of  accessory  to  their  work;  many  of  these  have  studied  the 
method  with  the  writer,  and  while  under  instruction  did  good 
work;  they  showed  intelligence  and  genuine  interest  in  the 
system,  freely  admitting  its  great  importance  as  a  founda- 
tional method,  asserting,  too,  that  a  few  months'  use  of 
the  Clavier  had  enabled  them  to  overcome  in  their  own 
playing  technical  difficulties  which  the  work  of  years  at  the 
piano  had  not  corrected.  The  improvement  in  their  execution 
and  in  the  artistic  effectiveness  of  their  playing  gave  abun- 
dant proof  of  the  correctness  of  this  latter  assertion. 

Many  of  these,  very  teachers — strange  as  it  may  seem — 
when  they  begin  to  teach  the  method  have  actually 
said  to  prospective  pupils  in  response  to  their,  the  pros- 
pective pupil's  assertion,  that  they  could  not  afford  to  get 
a  Clavier,  that  they  have  a  piano,  and  they  know  their 
people  will  never  consent  to  their  having  a  Clavier  just 
for  practice,  I  say  these  very  teachers,  forgetting  what 
Clavier  practice  did  for  their  own  fingers,  have  gone  so 
far  as  to  say:  "No,  it  really  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  get  a 
Clavier,  I  can  teach  you  the  method  without  your  having 
a  Clavier  at  home  for  practice.  I  can  at  the  lessons  illustrate 
the  principles  on  my  Clavier,  and  you  can  practice  most 
of  the  exercises  on  the  piano,  and  those  that  are  not  suit- 
able for  the  piano  you  can  practice,  on  the  table;  we  always 
require  everything  played  on  the  table  anyway." 

10 


The  desire  then  and  there  to  book  a  new  pupil  is  so  great 
that  every  hindrance  must  if  possible  be  removed.  Now, 
this  again  is  the  work  of  a  business  schemer  rather  than  of 
an  honest  teacher. 

Reports  of  this  character  have  for  years  been  coming 
to  the  writer,  and  they  have  included  teachers  whose  intelli- 
gence and,  he  thought,  honesty  would  deter  them  from  mak- 
ing to  any  learner  statements  so  absolutely  false  and  incon- 
sistent. 

If  any  teacher  can  teach  the  Clavier  Method  and  pro- 
duce anything  like  satisfactory  results  without  making  the 
Clavier  the  chief  and  special  instrument  for  all  technic  teach- 
ing and  practice,  the  writer  frankly  admits  that  that  teacher 
can  do  what  he  cannot  possibly  do.  He  unhesitatingly  says: 
Any  pupil  who  is  being  instructed  in  that  which  purports 
to  be  the  Clavier  Method,  who  is  not  required  to  make 
special  and  daily  use  of  the  Clavier,  is  being  deceived; 
such  teaching  is  not  Clavier  teaching  at  all,  and  when  in 
due  time  the  pupil  awakens  to  the  fact  that  the  special  bene- 
fits he  had  hoped  to  realize  through  the  Clavier  Method 
are  not  realized,  he  unhesitatingly  condemns  the  system. 

There  is  possibily  nothing  that  is  more  harmful  to  the 
Clavier  cause  and  to  the  cause  of  Education  in  Music 
than  for  teachers,  who  have  the  reputation  of  understand- 
ing and  teaching  the  method,  to  represent  to  their  pupils 
that  they  are  being  instructed  in  Clavier  principles  when 
the  pupil  uses  the  piano  and  not  the  Clavier  for  technical 
practice. 

There  have  been  wrongly  taught  Clavier  pupils,  though, 
who  have  not  condemned  the  system,  but  have  been  disposed 
to  go  farther  and  learn  whether  the  instruction  they  had 
received  was  really  Clavier  instruction  or  not;  a  number 
of  such  are  now  in  the  New  York  school.  A  fair  sample 
of  the  writer's  experience  with  such  pupils  when  they  come 
to  their  entrance  examination  will  be  found  on  page  23. 

A  class  of  earnest  workers  whom  we  classify  under  the 
letter  E  is  especially  deserving  of  mention.  These  have 
periodically  studied  the  method  and  have  made  good  prog- 
ress and  are  applying  the  principles  conscientiously  in  their 
teaching.  They  are  prudent  enough  to  go  no  further  in 
giving  instruction  than  they  are  sure  they  understand.  They 
make  it  a  business  to  attend  the  Teachers'  Sessions  and  are 
thus  gradually  attaining  proficiency  as  teachers  of  the 
method.      More   teachers   of  this   character  are   in   demand, 

II 


and  it  is  hoped  they  will  avail  themselves  of  every  oppor- 
tunity to  go  further  in  the  work,  until  they  can  take  their 
proper  place   in    Class   F. 

Class  F  comprises  those  teachers  who  have  made  a 
thorough  and  conscientious  study  of  the  system  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  who  believe  in  its  principles  and  who  have 
in  their  nature  sufficient  persuasive  power  to  influence  fair- 
minded  people  with  whom  they  chance  to  be  associated, 
and  who  are  not  afraid  to  be  prudently  aggressive  for  the 
sake  of  upholding  truth,  when  they  see  that  by  quiet  sub- 
mission they  are  tacitly  upholding  error.  Clavier  teachers 
of  this  class  are  the  ones  who  succeed,  and  who  do  the 
kind  of  work  which  in  due  time  convinces.  The  Clavier 
System  is  fortunate  in  having  a  number  of  teachers  of  this 
type,  and  the  encouraging  feature  is  that  their  numbers  arc 
on  the  increase.  More  teachers  of  this  stamp  are  still  needed. 
The  most  important  question  at  this  period  is — how  many 
teachers  have  we  who  are  earnestly  desirous  of  preparing 
themselves  to  be  enrolled  in  Class  F? 

Something  Positive  to  Teach   ,  \^ 

Why  does  the  expression  so  frequently  spring  spontaneous- 
ly from  the  lips  of  teachers  of  the  piano,  those,  too,  of  ex- 
perience who  have  adopted  the  Clavier  Method,  "I  never 
had,  until  I  began  teaching  in  this  way,  anything  positive 
to  teach,  but  now  I  have;  I  have  something  definite  before 
me  to  do,  and  it  is  such  a  satisfaction"?  Indeed  it  is  a 
satisfaction  to  sane  people  to  know  where  they  are  going 
and  how  to  go;  insane  people  do  not  concern  themselves 
about   these   matters. 

What  sort  of  a  recommendation,  think  you,  would  it  be 
for  a  teacher  of  mathematics  were  he  to  make  the  state- 
ment, *T  have  nothing  positive  to  teach,"  or  for  a  teacher 
of  spelling,  reading,  grammar,  botany  or  chemistry  to  come 
out  with  such  a  declaration?  The  truth  is,  in  all  branches  of 
literary  learning,  certain  all-important  natural  facts  exist. 
Educators  have  acquired  a  knowledge  of  these  facts,  and 
also  of  the  nature  and  functions  of  the  human  faculties; 
they  have  also  discovered  and  made  known  to  the  literary 
world  certain  educational  laws  which  have  become  such 
thoroughly  established  teaching  principles  that  no  sane  lit- 
erary teacher  can  say,  "I  have  nothing  positive  to  teach; 
I  have  no  method  to  guide  me  in  my  work."  No  intelligent 
literary  teacher  is  at  a  loss  what  to  teach  or  how  to  teach. 
Subjects,  their  proper  order,  and  right  methods  of  presenta- 

13 


tion  have  been  thought  out  in  accordance  with  psychological 
educational  laws  that  are  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  na- 
ture principles  to  be  taught.  Therefore  the  literary  teacher 
has  at  his  command  definite  knowledge;  he  knows  what  to 
do,  how  to  do,  and  when  is  the  proper  time  to  do.  Not 
so  with  the  average  music  teacher.  He  freely  admits  that 
he  is  all  at  sea.  Why  is  he  in  this  condition?  The  answer 
is:  because  he  is  dealing  with  fancies,  not  with  facts;  be- 
cause the  emotions  and  not  reason  are  the  chief  forces 
in  action,  and  these  same  forces  prevailed  at  the  time  he 
received  his  musical  training,  the  instruction  upon  which 
his  knowledge  of  instructing  depends. 

Two  Important  Things 

If  Clavier  teachers  will  earnestly  do  two  things:  first, 
qualify  themselves  thoroughly  to  do  the  work  here  planned, 
then  do  it  and  keep  doing  it,  devoting  at  least  one  hour 
every  week  to  a  Parents'  Class;  and,  second,  as  an  irhportant 
auxiliary  aid  to  the  carrying  out  of  this  work,  will  support 
The  Clavier  and  Musical  Profession,  the  only  musical  journal 
in  the  world  that  stands  for  education  in  music,  and  that 
advocates  the  very  principles  they  believe  in  and  are  trying 
to  teach,  the  cause  we  advocate  will  succeed. 

You  may  say,  "I  do  not  think  The  Clavier  and  Musical 
Profession  is  as  valuable  a  music  paper  in  a  general  way 
as  some  others."  This  may  be;  it  is  in  its  infancy  and  is 
obliged,  on  account  of  its  principles,  to  face  opposition;  your 
support  is  just  what  it  needs  to  make  it  a  valuable  paper 
and  a  power  in  the  cause  of  educational  reform  in  music, 
and  as  it  advocates  the  principles  you  teach,  it  will  be  a 
direct  help  to  you.  Its  editor  is  a  very  competent  and  a 
very  self-sacrificing  man.  If  every  Clavier  teacher  will  do 
for  the  paper  one-twentieth  as  much  as  its  editor  does,  it, 
and  the  great  cause  back  of  it,  will  become  in  a  few  years 
a  power  in  support  not  only  of  educational  truths  but  of 
every  teacher  who  teaches  those  truths. 

The  Half-Hour  Lesson  Scheme 

A  most  serious  hindrance  to  the  work  of  teachers  who 
know  and  try  to  teach  correct  principles  is  the  half-hour 
lesson  scheme.  Those  who  take  the  Parents'  Course  will 
very  soon  see  that  a  thirty-minute  lesson  once  or  even 
twice  a  week  does  not  allow  a  teacher  sufficient  time  to 
give  proper  attention  to  the  various  details  that  must  be 
attended  to  if  the  instruction  is  to  be  of  any  real  value. 


r 


Real  and  False  Economy 

The  economy  practiced  by  parents  who  insist  upon  half- 
hour  lessons  is  a  false  economy.  Among  the  ends  sought 
through  the  lessons  to  parents,  one  is  to  give  them  the  in- 
telligence to  know  what  real  economy  at  the  music  lesson 
is.  An  economy  not  intelligently  made  often  proves  the 
worst  kind  of  extravagance.  Don't  do  anything — not  even 
economize — until  you  know  how  to  do  it. 

I  must  do  everything  in  a  half-hour!  is  the  feeling  con- 
stantly harassing  the  teacher  who  is  really  trying  to  give 
thorough  instruction.  I  must  touch  upon  all  these  points, 
if  possible.  The  consequence  is  nothing  is  dwelt  upon  long 
enough  to  be  made  clear,  and  in  the  haste  to  make  a  decent 
showin^j  in  thirty  minutes  many  all-important  things  are 
omitted  entirely,  and  others  are  only  half  mastered.  A  one- 
hour  lesson  is  worth  more  to  the  pupil  than  three  half-hour 
lessons  when  a  teacher  is  really  trying  to  do  good  work. 
The  fact  is,  a  thirty-minute  music  lesson  is  a  farce. 

The  Lesson  Plan 

here  marked  out  is  recommended:  During  the  first  term — 
by  first  term  is  meant  the  first  term  a  pupil  studies  the 
Clavier  Method — two  class  lessons  a  week  should  be  given 
(hour  lessons).  After  the  first  term  it  is  generally  better 
to  give  one  class  and  one  private  lesson  a  week  (hour 
lessons). 

Two  pupils  may  share  the  hour  if  desired;  indeed,  if 
proper  facilities  are  at  hand  and  system  is  employed,  theie 
are  often  advantages  in  having  two  pupils  share  a  private 
lesson  hour;  the  expense  to  the  pupil  is  no  greater  than 
would  be  a  half-hour  private  lesson,  and  at  the  same  time 
there  need  be  no  neglect  of  the  application  of  principles. 
Pupils  must  be  made  to  understand  clearly,  however,  that 
when  they  are  given  the  opportunity  of  sharing  an  hour 
with  another  pupil,  if  either  is  absent  the  lesson  is  still 
counted  as  a  lesson.  This  regulation  often  causes  pupils  to 
be  more  punctual  than  they  would  be  were  they  taking 
lessons  all  alone. 

The  minimum  number  of  pupils  in  a  class  ought  to  be 
four — more  when  consistent.  For  class  lessons  the  teacher 
should  aim  to  get  at  least  one-third  more  compensation 
than  for  a  private  lesson,  as  there  are  expenses  attending 
class  that  are  not  connected  with  private  lessons,  and,  too, 

14 


I 


there  is  liability  that  pupils  may  drop  out  of  classes  and 
thus  cut  off  the  receipts. 

Many  other  things  might  with  propriety  be  said  upon  the 
plan  to  be  adopted  in  the  giving  of  lessons,  but  space  for- 
bids. When  teachers  get  the  work  under  way  in  their  own 
localities,  if  they  need  further  suggestions  and  ask  for  them, 
they  will   be  gladly  given. 

Teachers  who  are  interested  in  this  work,  after  getting 
the  Parents'  Classes  well  started,  ought,  if  they  are  busi- 
ness-like in  advertising  and  conducting  their  teaching,  to 
have  little  trouble  in  establishing  in  a  short  time  a  good 
business.  In  large  cities  it  will  naturally  take  longer  to 
reach  people  and  make  the  work  known  than  in  smaller 
cities  and  villages,  but  any  teacher  of  influence  who  will  go 
energetically  and  intelligently  to  work,  beginning  with  the 
Parents'  Classes,  as  suggested,  then  follow  this  work  by  the 
forming  of  Pupils'  Classes  upon  the  plan  here  briefly  mapped 
out,  ought  to  acquire  an  excellent  and  permanent  business 
more  quickly  than  upon  any  other  plan. 

Intelligent   and  Unintelligent   Parents 

A  class  pupil  may  have  done  excellent  work  in  the  study 
of  the  principles  of  playing,  but  because  the  first  term  ends 
and  not  one  single  piece  has  been  learned,  parents  who 
have  no  knowledge  of  first  principles  and  their  importance 
may  think  that  nothing  has  been  accomplished,  when  in 
truth  the  pupil  has  done  more  than  would  have  been  the 
case  had  a  dozen  pieces  been  learned  in  the  ordinary  slip- 
shod fashion.  Parents  who  understand  and  appreciate  right 
principles  and  correct  teaching  know  this  to  be  a  fact,  and, 
instead  of  condemning,  they  commend  the  teacher's  course; 
therefore,  do  not  fail  to  educate  parents. 

Tearchers  ought  not  in  their  teaching  and  in  their  efforts 
to  establish  themselves  to  give  up  the  doing  of  anything 
which  their  better  judgment  tells  them  ought  to  be  done 
until  every  reasonable  means  to  bring  about  their  desires  has 
been  exhausted.  "I  never  knew  any  one  to  get  nowhere 
who  stuck  to  the  right  path  and  kept  going,"  are  the  words 
of  Ben  Jonson. 

An  experience  of  thirty  years  or  more  in  class  instruction 
in  the  study  of  the  piano  has  convinced  the  writer  that  the 
system  carried  on  in  the  Clavier  Method  is  an  absolute  ne- 
cessity if  true  educational  principles  are  to  be  adopted  in 
teaching  the  piano.    If  a  class  lesson  in  the  study  of  technical 

IS 


principles,  including  proper  mental  and  physical  trainmg, 
either  elementary  or  advanced,  is  rightly  given,  i.e.,  if  system 
and  order  prevail,  every  attentive  member  of  the  class  will 
derive  greater  benefit  than  is  possible  at  a  private  lesson, 
and  that,  too,  at  a  fraction  of  the  expense  of  a  private  lesson. 
Class  teaching  is  an  essential  branch  of  the  Clavier  System. 

Musical  Training 

It  must  not  be  inferred  that  class  instruction  is  purely 
technical;  it  is  also  musical  if  the  work  is  rightly  done. 
As  soon  as  a  class  has  reached  the  point  at  which  they 
are  doing  simple  passage  and  chord  playing,  and  time  and 
touch  exercises  are  in  practice,  which  point  is  reached  at 
about  the  middle  of  the  first  term,  or  soon  after,  the  piano 
is  used  at  the  lessons;  one  pupil — the  surest  one — is  se- 
lected to  play  the  piano  while  the  other  members  of  the 
class  are  at  the  Claviers.  Every  pupil  is  required  to  listen 
to  the  tone,  knowing  that  his  or  her  own  fingers  strike 
the  same  key  that  produces  the  very  tone  they  hear.  Time 
exercises,  and  exercises  in  the  various  kinds  of  touch,  also 
scale  and  arpeggio  passages  and  chord  exercises  in  all 
touches,  are  played  sometimes  in  concert,  at  other  times 
by  individual  members  of  the  class,  while  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  class  listen  and  judge  effects  and  also  compare 
the  effects  produced  by  the  different  players.  Thus,  pupils 
are  trained  to  listen,  think,  and  compare  effects;  by  this 
means  not  only  is  mind  brought  in  contact  with  mind,  but 
skill  is  brought  in  contact  with  skill,  and  a  healthy  spirit 
of  emulation  is  aroused. 

"Mind  Is  Everything*' 

All  exercises  are  played  from  merfiory.  Here  again  mind 
is  brought  into  active,  and  the  several  minds  into  com- 
petitive operation.  The  slow  memorizer  discovers  his  slow- 
ness and  tries  to  overcome  his  weakness;  the  stumbler,  in- 
spired by  the  good  effects  produced  by  sure  fingers,  aims 
to  become  more  sure;  the  slovenly,  inaccurate  chord  player 
hears  from  some  members  of  the  class  clean  chord  effects 
in  which  the  several  fingers  and  the  two  hands  are  rightly 
prepared  and  act  simultaneously;  he  appreciates  the  right 
effects  and'  puts  forth  his  best  efforts  to  produce  equally 
good  ones.  This  is  Mental,  Technical  and  Ear  Training, 
but  not  solo  work. 

i6 


Solo  Work 

The  solo  work  is  attended  to  at  the  weekly  private  lesson. 
Every  pupil  must  have  musical  training,  such  as  is  given  at 
the  class  lessons,  and  in  addition  must  be  trained  to  apply 
the  musical  and  technical  knowledge  and  skill  acquired  to 
the  interpretation  of  music.  It  takes  the  two  kinds  of 
instruction,  class  and  private,  to  accomplish  in  a  reasonable 
length  of  time  and  at  reasonable  expense  that  for  which 
every  intelligent  pupil  and  parent  is  seeking. 

Applied   Knowledge 

It  is  certainly  consistent  for  Clavier  teachers,  indeed  it  is 
the  duty  of  teachers  who  have  gained  some  familiarity  with 
the  Clavier  System,  to  not  only  improve  their  knowledge, 
but  also  to  put  it,  as  some  have,  into  thorough  practical  op' 
eration.  If  in  the  opinion  of  those  who  understand  the  meth- 
od, the  thousands  upon  thousands  who  are  studying  the 
piano  are  doing  so  to  almost  no  purpose,  is  it  not  the  duty 
of  such  to  boldly  but  prudently  stand  for  the  truth  and  by 
their  own  efforts  as  teachers  prove  to  the  world  that  it  i» 
truth? 

Why  Is  It 

that  the  great  majority  of  the  leading  teachers  one  meets 
are  opposed  to  the  Clavier  Method?  is  a  question  frequently 
heard  from  the  lips  of  intelligent  people  who  are  studying 
the  method,  having  previously  studied  the  piano  in  the  or- 
dinary way.  "Knowing  what  I  do  about  it,"  they  say,  "I 
cannot  understand  how  any  honest,  sane  person  and  espe- 
cially a  teacher  of  the  piano,  who  is  supposed  to  be  in- 
terested in  music,  can  oppose  it." 

This  is  a  very  easy  question  to  answer.  The  truth  is, 
the  great  majority  of  musicians  have  not  studied  the  sys- 
tem at  all;  its  real  principles  they  know  nothing  about. 
Many  have  made  some  use  of  the  Clavier,  and  those  who  have 
not  used  it  have  been  prejudiced  by  those  who  have,  and 
who  have,  as  before  said,  used  it  wrongly. 

Nothing  has  ever  been  created  on  earth,  or  in  heaven 
either,  for  that  matter,  that  is  so  absolutely  and  positively 
right  and  perfect,  that  ignorance  and  prejudice  cannot  make 
a  fair  showing  that  it  is  wrong. 

A  Few  of  Many  Experiences 
Much  time  and  money  were  spent  and  wasted  years  ago, 
as  has  since  been  proven,  in  getting  the   Clavier  and  some 

17 


of  its  principles  before  prominent  musicians  and  teachers  in 
all  the  principal  cities  and  music  centers  of  America,  most 
of  whom  were  kind  and  honest  enough  at  the  time  to  admit 
their  value,  while  many  of  whom  openly  declared,  and  with 
evident  feeling,  that  they  regretted  they  could  not  have 
had,  when  they  began  lessons,  advantages  for  technical  train- 
ing such  as  the  instrument  and  system  under  discussion  pro- 
vide. After  expressing  unqualified  approval  and  admitting 
their  regrets,  as  previously  stated,  many,  when  the  fact 
became  clear  to  them  that  they  would  not  be  presented  with 
an  instrument  outright,  resorted  to  all  sorts  of  arguments  in 
justification  of  their  continuing  their  present  way  of  teach- 
ing. They  would  say,  "But  you  could  hardly  expect  me,  in 
my  position  in  this  community,  to  purchase  an  instrument 
and  then  learn  to  use  it  and  adopt  it  in  my  teaching! — 
piano  makers  are  only  too  glad  to  furnish  me  all  the  pianos 
I  want.  I  have  an  established  business,  all  I  can  do,  and  my 
pupils  are  satisfied;  why  shouldn't  they  be?  they  have  just 
the  same  opportunities  to  learn  that  I  had.  Why  should  I 
put  myself  to  extra  trouble  and  expense  to  give  them  bet- 
ter opportunities  to  learn  than  I  had  myself?" 

Arguments  of  this  character  were  numerous.  The  thought 
had  escaped  their  minds  that  only  a  moment  before  they 
had  been  deploring  the  fact  that  in  their  early  teaching 
they  were  deprived  of  the  very  advantages  which  they  were 
deliberately  and  in  cold  blood  refusing  their  pupils. 

One  very  prominent  musician,  who  enjoyed  in  one  of  our 
largest  cities  a  most  enviable  reputation,  after  having  had 
several  showings  and  a  number  of  chances  for  practice  on 
the  instrument,  remarked  to  the  writer:  "To  acquire  a  per- 
fect legato  touch,  I  regard  a  matter  of  first  and  greatest  im- 
portance in  learning  to  play  the  piano.  I  have  often  worked 
five  years  over  pupils  and  then  failed  to  get  as  good  and 
as  intelligent  an  idea  of  how  the  legato  touch  is  produced 
as,  by  the  aid  of  these  clicks,  can  be  gained  in  five  minutes. 
I  will  give  you  a  recommendation  for  publication,"  said 
he.  Time  passed,  and,  as  no  recommendation  came,  the 
writer  called  upon  the  teacher,  hoping  to  find  the  kindly 
promised  recommendation  awaiting  him;  but  no! — he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment.  The  musician  at  once  remarked: 
"I  suppose  you  have  come  for  the  recommendation  I  prom- 
ised you?"  The  writer  admitted  that  such  was  the  case. 
"Well,"  said  he,  "I  must  ask  you  to  excuse  me  from  keep- 
ing my  promise.  I  admit  the  great  value  of  your  instrument. 
I  have  not  changed  my  opinion  in  the  least.    Now,  is  it  not 

i8 


sufficient  for  you  that  I  tell  you  these  things  and  for  you 
to  tell  people  what  I  say?  I  can't  give  you  a  recommenda- 
tion for  publication.  The  fact  is,  I  have  other  things  to  con- 
sider. I  cannot  recommend  your  instrument  without  going 
back  on  the  early  teachings  of  my  father."  Here  the  mat- 
ter ended.  It  is  certainly  a  noble  trait  of  character  to 
respect  a  father's  teachings  when  they  are  right,  when  they 
are  truth;  it  is,  however,  a  far  nobler  trait  of  character  to 
go  back  on  a  father's  teachings  when  they  are  wrong, 
false.  In  the  matter  of  education,  is  it  not  nobler  to  pro- 
tect the  interests  and  best  good  of  present  and  of  future 
generations  of  unwary  and  innocent  youths  who  are  seeking 
an  education  as  a  preparation  for  lives  of  usefulness  than  it 
is  to  protect  the  teaching  errors  of  a  departed  father? 

Another  prominent  musician,  after  having  the  instrument 
and  method  explained  to  him,  and  after  making  the  asser- 
tion, "Yes,  I  believe  a  pupil  could  accomplish  more  in  one 
year  by  the  use  of  this  instrument  than  he  would  in  three 
years  without  it,"  added,  "but  the  question  is.  Is  it  policy 
for  me  to  use  and  recommend  it?  I  had  rather  have  a  pupil 
three  years  than  one.  It  would  not  be  good  business  policy 
for  me  to  adopt  the  one-year  plan  any  more  than  it  would 
be  for  my  bootmaker  to  make  me  so  good  a  pair  of  boots 
that  they  would  last  me  a  year,  when  he  now  makes  me 
three  pairs  a  year."  In  this  case  interest  in  education,  in- 
deed in  humanity  and  in  art,  too,  fell  dead  at  the  feet  of 
selfishness  and  greed. 

Another  musician  said:  "There  certainly  is  nothing  in- 
correct in  what  you  have  been  showing  me.  I  should  like 
an  instrument  for  my  own  use  if  you  can  so  favor  me.  I 
will  use  it  and  not  deny  that  I  do  if  ever  the  question 
comes  up,  but  to  tell  you  the  truth,  while  the  right  use  of 
this  instrument  will  undoubtedly  help  pupils  to  get  on  far 
more  rapidly  in  their  playing,  I  must  say  I  want  my  pupils 
to  work,  I  want  them  to  work  just  as  hard  as  I  had  to  work; 
it  has  taken  me  years  to  get  where  I  am,  and  I  do  not  care 
to  have  my  pupils  go  faster  or  accomplish  more  than  I 
have  done;  I  do  not  believe  in  these  short  cuts  and  royal 
roads  to  success;  I  am  for  work.  'Thou  shalt  earn  thy  bread 
by  the  sweat  of  thy  brow,*  is  the  decree.  I  cannot  now, 
after  all  these  years,  go  to  work  to  learn  a  new  system  just 
to  help  my  pupils  and  to  shorten  their  course,  when  it  is 
going  to  be  no  help  whatever  to  me.  Will  they  pay  me 
any  higher  price  for  my  lessons?  No,  my  prices  are  es- 
tablished, and  so  am  I.     I  do  not  believe  it  would  increase 


my  reputation  or  my  income  in  the  least  were  I  to  adopt 
this  way  of  teaching,  but  it  certainly  would  cost  me  time, 
money  and  labor  to  do  it.  I  try  to  take  a  common-sense 
business  view  of  all  such  matters." 

Was  this  man  at  heart  an  educator?  Far  from  it!  Would 
he,  think  you,  agree  with  Mohammed's  assertion,  "He  who 
honestly  instructs,  reverences  God"?  No!  on  the  contrary, 
he  would  have  condemned  the  great  prophet's  methods  as 
wrong. 

Honest  teachers  feel  it  their  duty  to  ascertain  what  is  to 
the  advantage  of  their  pupils  and  then  to  see,  if  working 
for  their  best  good,  will  not  in  the  end  prove  the  teacher's 
best  good  also. 

A  Cold  Shoulder 

Other  teachers  at  once  turned  a  cold  shoulder  on  the  in- 
strument and  the  method,  asserting  that  both  were  terribly 
wrong;  at  a  single  glance  they  were  able  to  take  in  the  whole 
situation.  The  most  convincing  argument  advanced  by  such 
teachers  was,  "I  was  not  taught  that  way.  I  teach  as  I 
was  taught.  My  teacher  was  a  great  master  and  a  great 
player.  His  method  is  my  method.  There  is  no  need  for 
new  methods." 

These  opposing  prominent  teachers  studied  the  piano  in 
stage  coach  days.  These  are  different  times:  railroad  and 
electricity  days.  We  are  living  in  an  age  of  progress  in 
every  direction;  indeed,  education  in  music  is  not  at  the 
dead  standstill  that  some  think  it  is.  Is  it  not  possible 
for  Clavier  teachers  to  convince  those  musicians  who  are  so 
opposed  to  progress  in  our  great  art  that  the  world  has  not, 
as  they  imagine,  stood  dead  still  ever  since  their  masters 
adopted  their  teaching  methods,  and  is  it  not  consistent  to 
believe  that  the  way  to  accomplish  this  is  to  educate  parents? 

Mechanical  Playing 

Many  prominent  musicians  and  teachers  argued  in  the  be- 
ginning, and  some  are  foolish  enough  to  continue  the  same 
idle  talk,  that  the  exactness  demanded  by  the  new  instru- 
ment and  method  would  make  mechanical  playing,  which 
argument  proved  how  little  real  knowledge  they  had  of  the 
human  machine  and  of  the  best  way  to  establish  in  that 
machine  the  conditions  and  skill  necessary  to  the  production 
of  true  artistic  musical  effects  at  the  piano. 

The    teacher   who   is    able    to    make    piano    players    must 

20 


know  how  to  train  and  develop  not  only  the  musical  and 
physical  powers,  but  he  must  know,  too,  how  to  train  and 
develop  the  mental  faculties.  Why  should  musicians,  who 
are  not  educators  in  either  direction,  either  at  heart  or  by 
training,  not  indulge  in  all  sorts  of  fears  and  scepticisms? 
— and  to  carry  their  point  against  the  Clavier  and  method,  is 
it  not  natural  that  they  should  resort  to  the  scheme  of 
frightening  people  into  the  belief  that  if  they  hope  to  be- 
come musical  players  they  must  keep  just  as  far  from  the 
Clavier  as  possible,  "  because  it  ruins  the  touch  and  spoils 
the  tone"?  The  terrible  warning,  "Don't  become  a  me- 
chanical player,"  spectre-like  has  for  the  past  eighteen  years 
perched  itself  on  the  bargain  counter  of  every  music  studio 
in  America  presided  over  by  teachers  who  are  opposed  to 
progress.  But  these — their  most  powerful  arguments — "It 
spoils  the  tone  and  ruins  the  touch  and  makes  mechanical 
playing,"  finally,  after  thousands  of  positive  proofs  that 
tone,  touch  and  musical  effectiveness  are  not  spoiled,  but 
actually  improved  by  a  right  use  of  the  Clavier,  are  losing 
their  force;  even  the  great  majority  of  the  alarmists  them- 
selves are  compelled  reluctantly  to  admit  that  the  use  of 
the  Clavier  does  not  injure  the  tone  or  the  touch  and  that 
Clavier  pupils  play  musically. 

The  Musical  Art  Promotion  Club 

is  an  organization — as  its  name  implies — for  the  promotion 
of  the  art  of  music,  instrumental  and  vocal,  including  theory 
and  composition.  Clubs  under  the  above  title  are  local 
branches  of  The  International  Society  of  Pianoforte  Teach- 
ers and  Players,  thus  every  club  member  is  also  a  fnember 
of  the  International  Society. 

The  object  in  any  community  of  forming  a  club  is  not  to 
make  money,  but  to  make  musicians.  Through  the  club 
provision  may  be  made  to  help  talented  and  deserving  music 
students  who  have  not  the  means  to  obtain  a  musical  edu- 
cation. 

The  Musical  Art  Promotion  Club,  understand,  is  only  a 
suggestion.  In  certain  locaHties  an  organization  of  the  kind 
might  meet  with  special  favor  and  be  the  means  not  only 
of  awakening  interest  but  also  of  doing  a  great  deal  of 
good.  In  some  places  it  may  be  found  difficult  to  arouse 
interest  in  any  sort  of  a  club  or  society  organization. 

It  is  recommended  that  in  no  case  should  the  forming 
of  the  club  be  an  initial  step.     First  of  all  let  the  teacher 

21 


go  to  work  on  his  own  responsibility  with  the  parents  to 
form  a  Parents'  Class,  and  when  a  successful  start  has  been 
made  and  decided  interest  is  shown,  then  is  the  time  to 
suggest  the  forming  of  a  club. 

An  annual  fee  of  $1.25  should  be  the  tax  upon  members 
and  this  will  include  membership  in  The  International  So- 
ciety and  a  year's  subscription  to  The  Clavier  and  Musical 
Profession.  One  dollar  of  the  membership  fee  should  be 
forwarded  to  the  New  York  office,  1002  Flatiron  Bijilding, 
to  cover  the  annual  fee  for  membership  in  The  Inter- 
national Society,  including  subscription  to  The  Clavier  and 
Musical  Profession;  the  remaining  25  cents  goes  into  the 
treasury  of  the  club  to  pay  postage  and  to  meet  other 
local  expenses.  If  a  good  interest  can  be  awakened  in 
the  cause,  after  the  first  year  quarterly  club  concerts  ought 
to  be  given,  for  which  a  moderate  admission  should  be 
charged,  the  moneys  received  being  paid  into  the  treasury  to 
create  a  fund  to  be  appropriated  to  the  education  of  poor 
but  talented  and  deserving  music  students.  The  fact  that 
every  member  of  the  local  club  becomes  a  member  of  The 
International  Society  and  a  reader  of  The  Clavier  and  Mu- 
sical Profession  ought  to  prove  a  great  assistance  to  a 
Clavier  teacher.  In  order  to  make  the  journal  of  value  and 
interest  to  the  work,  teachers  ought  frequently  to  send 
short  reports  of  their  work  to  the  editor,  Mr.  C.  S.  Cook, 
12  Princes  Street,  Hanover  Square,  London,  England,  for 
publication,  and  further,  they  should  note  down  the  ques- 
tions that  are  put  to  them  about  their  method  of  teaching, 
also  objections  to  any  principles  that  may  come  to  their 
ears  from  other  teachers,  then  send  them  on  to  1002  Flat- 
iron  Building,  New  York,  to  the  "Question  Department." 
The  writer  attends  personally  to  this  department  of  The 
Clavier  and  Musical  Profession.  By  taking  this  course  an 
intelligent  interest  in  Education  in  Music  may  be  awakened 
and  kept  alive  in  every  community  in  which  music-loving 
people  reside.  If  teachers  are  really  anxious  to  succeed, 
they  ought  to  see  the  need  of  putting  forth  some  such  efforts 
as  are  here  suggested. 

A  Further  Suggestion 
As  the  booklet  is  designed  for  Clavier  teachers  only,  and 
not  for  general  distribution,  will  it  not  be  well  for  teachers 
to  call  upon  people  whom  they  know  to  be  interested  in 
music  and  in  education  and  read  to  them  such  portions  as 
their   discretion   and   circumstances   would   suggest?      Many 

22 


will,  of  course,  take  no  active  interest,  but  simply  a  favor- 
able word  from  people  of  the  class  suggested  may  be  help- 
ful, whereas  an  adverse  word,  through  ignorance  of  the  sub- 
ject, would  be  equally  harmful.  To  get  as  many  people  of 
the  better  class  with  you  as  you  can,  and  that,  too,  as  early 
as  possible,  is  certainly  wise. 

ENTRANCE   EXAMINATION 

A   Fair  Sample   of  Wrongly  Taught   Clavier   Pupils 

The  first  question  the  examiner  puts  is:     "Have  you  ever 
studied  the  Clavier  method?" 
Ans.,  Pupil:     "Yes,  I  studied  the  method  with  Mrs.  


all  last  year,  but  I  have  not  accomplished  anything  in  my 
technic  that  I  had  expected  to  from  what  I  had  read  and 
heard  of  the  great  advantages  of  the  Clavier  method." 

Examiner:  "If  you  studied  all  last  season  you  certainly 
ought  to  have  accomplished  a  good  deal.  How  much  daily 
practice   did  you   do?" 

Pupil:  "Well,  I  never  got  in  less  than  three  hours  and 
often  more." 

Examiner:  "How  much  of  that  time  did  you  devote  to 
technic  at  the  Clavier?" 

Pupil:  "Oh,  I  had  no  Clavier.  I  did  all  my  practice  on 
the  piano.  At  first,  for  a  week  or  two,  I  practised  some 
every  day  on  the  table;  but  as  I  had  no  Clavier  I  had  to  use 
the  piano.  I  several  times  used'  the  Clavier  for  a  few  mo- 
ments at  my  lesson,  but  not  at  every  lesson;  only  when  Mrs. 
wished  to  show  me  something  about  the  clicks." 

Examiner:  "You  have  not  been  doing  Clavier  work  at  all, 
I  see;  you  can  hardly  expect  to  make  much  of  a  showing 
in  your  technic  if  you  have  made  no  use  of  the  Clavier;  it's 
the  Clavier,  you  must  understand,  that  does  the  work.  How 
long  had  you  been  studying  the  piano  when  you  began  your 
so-called  Clavier  method  work?" 

Pupil:  "Oh,  I  can't  say  how  many  years;  ever  since  I  was 
a  little  girl;  but  I  took  lessons  so  irregularly  that  it  is  hard 
to  state  just  how  long  I  have  actually  been  under  instruc- 
tion." 

Examiner:  "Well,  let's  guess  at  it.  Do  you  think  you 
had  had  lessons  in  all  six  years?" 

Pupil:    "Yes,  I  am  sure  I  had." 

Examiner:  "And  you  lacked  technic,  and  took  up  the 
Clavier  method  for  the  purpose  of  getting  technic,  and  be- 
cause you  had  heard  that  it  gave  technic?     No,  It  does  not 

33 


give  technic,  except  at  the  price  of  labor.  If  you  let  the 
instrument  alone  it  does  nothing  for  you.  A  Clavier  pupil 
must  practice  on  the  Clavier  regularly  and  nowhere  else 
— save  on  the  table— never  touching  the  piano  in  practice 
until  each  technical  principle  has  been  brought  up  to  the 
point  at  which  tone  is  necessary  to  carry  out,  i.e.,  to  make 
application  of  the  technical  principle  that  has  been  gotten 
into  mind  and  fingers  by  the  use  of  the  clicks  of  the  Clavier. 
The  Clavier  must  go  ahead  of  the  piano  in  all  technical 
work  if  the  learner  expects  to  make  real,  i.e.,  intelligent 
progress.     Why  did  you  not  have,  a  Clavier?" 

Pupil:  "Well,  my  people  did  not  care  to  go  to  the  ex- 
pense of  getting  a  Clavier  as  long  as  we  already  had  a 
piano." 

Examiner:  "But  a  piano  cannot  take  the  place  of  a  Clavier 
any  more  than  a  Clavier  can  take  the  place  of  a  piano." 

Pupil:     "I   asked  Mrs.  if  it  really  were  necessary 

for  me  to  go  to  the  expense  of  a  Clavier  and  she  said  it 
was  not.  She  said  she  could  show  me  about  the  Clavier 
at  the  lessons,  as  she  had  one  in  her  studio,  and  I  could 
practice  on  the  table  and  the  piano.  She  wanted  me  to 
practice  on  the  table  a  good  deal  at  first." 

Examiner:     "How  long  did  she  require  you   to   keep   up 
your   table   practice?" 
Pupil:    "Oh,  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  I  think." 
Examiner:     "During   the   two   weeks   you   only   used   the 
table,  I  presume?' 

Pupil:     "Oh,  no;  I  used  the  piano,  too." 
Examiner:     "What  did  you  do  on  the     piano?" 
Pupil:     "Well,  I  played  my  scales  and  pieces." 
Examiner:     "Your  old  pieces,  I  suppose?" 
Pupil:     "Yes;   for   she   gave   me   no   new   piece   until   my 
third  or  fourth  lesson;  after  that  I  practiced  the  new  piece, 
also." 

Examiner:  "Will  you  play  for  me  Ex.  No.  6?" 
Pupil:  "No.  6?  I  do  not  recollect  which  it  is." 
Examiner:  "Well,  can  you  play  No.  8?"  The  only  response 
was  a  confused,  bewildered  look.  The  examiner  added, 
**Can  you  play  No.  lo?"  Another  blank  response.  "Well, 
I  am  sure  you  can  play  Exercise  25;  everyone  who  knows 
anything  at  all  about  the  Clavier  method  knows  25,  the 
whole  scheme  of  finger  work  hinges  on  Exercise  25  more 
than  upon  any  other  exercise  in  the  book." 

Pupil:  "No,  I  do  not  remember  that,  either— not  by  the 
number.    If  you  show  me  how  it  goes,  maybe  I  shall  recall 


it,  for  I  have  practiced  quite  a  number  of  the  Clavier  ex- 
ercises." After  a  moment's  showing  the  young  lady  broke 
out  with  the  exclamation,  "Oh,  yes!  I  remember  that  as 
soon  as  you  play  it;  that  is  one  of  the  exercises  she  had  me 
play  on  her  Clavier.  I  played  that,  oh,  three  or  four  times. 
She  told  me  not  to  play  it  on  the  piano,  so  I  only  played  it 
at  my  lessons.  She  gave  it  to  me,  I  remember,  at  my  first 
lesson  and  every  time  I  went  to  the  Clavier  she  had  me 
play  it,  and  I  kept  it  up  for,  I  should  think,  a  month,  maybe 
longer;  but  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  knew  the  number  of 
the  exercise." 

Examiner:  "Ex.  25  is  especially  a .  Clavier  exercise;  Jt 
would  not  sound  very  well  on  the  piano." 

Pupil:  "Yes,  and  there  was  another  exercise  tRat  I  think 
must  be  especially  a  Clavier  exercise,  as  yod  say,  for  it 
sounded  terribly  on  the  piano.  I  played  it  a  few  times,  and 
mother  asked  me  if  I  called  that  music." 

Examiner:  "Well,  you  certainly  know  43,  the  whole 
Clavier  world  knows  43" — at  the  same  time  playing  a  few 
notes. 

Pupil:  "Oh!" — a  bright  smile  lighting  up  the  previously 
downcast,  dejected  face — "that  is  the  stretching  exercise; 
that's  the  very  one  that  I  played  several  times  on  the  piano, 
and  one  day  mother  said,  'If  that  is  one  of  your  Clavier 
method  studies,  I  don't  see  how  you  can  learn  music  by 
practicing  such  exercises  as  that.'     I  explained  that  it  was 

only  to  stretch  the  fingers.    I  told  Mrs.  what  mother 

said  about  the  exercise,  and  she  said  to  me  I  had  better  not 
practice  it  any  more  on  the  piano,  but  could  go  through  it 
occasionally  at  my  lessons.  I  played  it  a  few  times  after 
that  at  my  lessons,  but  that  has  been  so  long  ago  that  I  had 
entirely  forgotten  it  until  you  began  to  play  it  to-day." 

Examiner:  "You  certainly  know  Exercises  62,  63,  64  and 
65,  for  these  are  both  Clavier  and  piano  exercises?" 

Pupil:  "I  presume  I  have  had  them,  but  I  do  n(5t  know 
them  by  the  numbers." 

Examiner:  "You  must  have  played  on  the  piano  Exer- 
cises 67,  68,  69  and  70?" 

Pupil:  "I  presume  I  have;  but  you  see  a  great  many  of 
the   Clavier   Exercises  that   I   practiced  I   never  saw  at  all, 

and  none  of  them  more  than  once  or  twice  when  Mrs. 

first  gave  them  to  me;  she  showed  them  to  me  at  the  time 
from  her  book;  you  see,  I  have  had  no  Clavier  book  of  my 
own;   Mrs.  said  it  was  not  really  necessary  for  me 

25 


to  get  a  book  as  long  as  she  had  one,  and  I  was  expected 
to  play  everything  from  memory." 

Examiner:  **I  see.  I  presume  when  you  were  a  school- 
girl you  studied  spelling,  reading,  grammar,  arithmetic,  etc., 
in  school,  did  you  not?" 

Pupil:     Yes;  certainly." 

Examiner:  "There  is  not  much  doubt  but  that  your  teach- 
ers each  had  a  spelling  book,  a  reader,  a  grammar  and  an 
arithmetic  which  were  their  own  personal  property.  Now, 
did  they  at  the  recitation  permit  you  occasionally  to  take  a 
hasty  peep  into  their  books  and  excuse  you  from  becoming 
the  owner  and  proprietor  of  a  speller,  a  reader,  a  grammar 
and  an  arithmetic?     No,  indeed! 

"One  of  the  very  first  requirements  was  that  you  supply 
yourself  with  the  necessary  books  for  use,  a  book  for  every 
branch  pursued.  The  fact  is,  your  school  was  carried  on 
upon  educational  principles  and  for  educational  purposes; 
you  were  expected  to  study  and  get  your  lessons,  and  to 
do  those  things  you  had  to  have  books,  your  own  books,  and 
study  them. 

"The  Clavier  method  is  an  educational  method.  Your 
teacher  was  no  Clavier  teacher  at  all.  She  possibly  may 
know  something  about  education  in  other  branches  of  learn- 
ing, but  she  certainly  knows  nothing  about  education  in 
music.  The  study  of  the  piano  is  as  much  an  intellectual 
work,  i.e.,  when  rightly  pursued,  as  are  any  of  the  school 
studies  mentioned,  and  the  piano  pupil  is  in  just  as  great 
need  of  a  proper  text-book  as  is  the  school  pupil,  indeed, 
more;  the  study  of  the  piano  is  not  only  an  intellectual  but 
it  is  a  mechanical  study  as  well.  Not  only  is  a  proper  text- 
book an  absolute  necessity,  but  so  are  special  mechanical 
appliances  equally  necessary. 

"One  might  as  well  expect  a  student  in  architecture  to 
master  his  great  art  without  owning  or  studying  a  book, 
and  without  using  a  measure,  a  straight  edge,  a  try-square» 
a  pair  of  compasses  or  any  of  the  many  mechanical  appli- 
ances used  by  architects  as  to  expect  a  Clavier  pupil  to 
master  his  art  without  a  Clavier,  a  metronome  and  a  text- 
book. 

"There  is  no  better  proof  that  all  idea  of  consistent  edu- 
cational work  is  by  common  consent  and  practice  barred 
out  of  piano  study,  than  the  fact  that  teachers  who  claim 
to  know  and  to  teach  the  Clavier  method  will  tell  their 
pupils  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  have  a  Clavier  or  a  book. 
The  Clavier  is  the  only  instrument  in  the  world  that  gives  to 


I 


the  fingers,  through  the  intelligence,  a  schooling  which  con- 
centrates the  intellectual,  emotional  and  physical  powers 
upon  the  exact  work  demanded  of  them  in  playing  the  piano, 
and  the  Clavier  book  is  the  only  one  in  the  world  which 
places  before  the  intelligence  and  the  fingers  of  the  learner 
the  definite  work  required  of  them." 

Examiner:     "Please  play  a  scale  for  me." 

Pupil:  "That  is  my  very  weakest  point;  I  have  never 
been  able  to  play  scales  with  any  velocity  at  all,  but  I  will 
do  the  best  I  can."    The  scale  was  played. 

Examiner:  "Did  you  make  any  improvement  in  your 
scale  playing  by  your  lessons  in  the  Clavier  method?" 

Pupil:  "None  at  all.  You  see,  as  I  told  you,  I  have  no 
velocity." 

Examiner:  "And  you  never  will  have  until  you  learn  to 
make  right  crossing  movements.  I  see  you  were  not  taught 
the   crossing  exercises" — opening  to  them  in  the  book. 

Pupil:  "Yes,  she  gave  them  to  me,  and  said  I  could 
practice  them  on  the  piano  and  I  did  so,  and  I  remember 
now  that  she  did  criticise  my  finger  movements  a  g"ood  deal." 

Examiner:  "Please  play  this  simple  exercise,  Chord  Ex- 
ercise No.  40." 

Pupil:  "Yes,  I  think  I  had  this;  but  as  I  never  had  much 
trouble  with  chords,  and  went  straight  through  it,  Mrs, 
said  I  did  not  need  to  practice  it."  The  Chord  Ex- 
ercise was  played. 

Examiner:  "Play  it  with  the  metronome,  please,  at  this 
tempo,"  placing  the  metronome  at  60. 

Pupil:    "I  am  afraid  I  cannot  play  it  with  the  metronome. 

At  my  lesson  Mrs.  had  me  sometimes  play  it  with 

the  metronome,  but  it  always  seemed  to  throw  me  out;  I 
could  play  much  better  without  it.  May  I  try  it  once  with- 
out the  metronome?" 

Examiner:  "Yes," — the  metronome  was  silenced, — "but 
play  in  this  time" — counting  the  T.  M.  The  player  started 
at  once — paid  no  attention  to  the  T.  M.  "What  does  this 
mean?"  was  asked,  pointing  to  the  T.  M. 

Pupil:     "Oh,  yes;  but  I  thought  you  only  used  that  with 

the  metronome,   and  as  I   had  no  metronome   Mrs.  

said  I  could  leave  it  out." 

Examiner:  "But  I  want  you  to  put  it  in  always,  metro- 
nome or  no  metronome." 

Pupil:     "I  never  had  much  trouble  with  time." 

Examiner:  "No  one  ever  does  who  never  uses  the  metro- 
nome.   Let  me  count  one  measure,  then  you  play  these  two 

,^^^..  -    ^27 

rv 


measures,"  pointing  to  them.     "What  touch  did  you  use  in 
this  measure?" 

Pupil:  I  ought  to  have  played  that  staccato — no,  half 
staccato;  I  think  I  played  it  legato,  did  I  not?" 

Examiner:  "I  see  you  are  not  very  clear  in  your  mind 
with  regard  to  the  movements  for  the  various  chords.  You 
will  be  obliged  to  study  this  exercise.  How  about  your 
octaves?" 

Pupil:  "Oh,  I  never  could  play  octaves.  My  octaves  are 
worse,  if  possible,  than  my  scales." 

Examiner:  "Well,  then,  you  need  not  play  them.  How 
about  your  ear?" 

Pupil:  "I  think  I  am  all  right  in  that  respect,  for  the 
Clavier  exercises  sounded  so  very  badly  to  me  on  the  piano, 
especially  25  and  43,  and  there  were  some  others  that  sounded 
just  as  badly,  that  I  couldn't  endure  them."  The  ear  was 
tested. 

Examiner:  "Yes,  your  auricular  powers  are  naturally 
good,  and  I  am  sure  you  have  intellectual  ability,  and  I  see 
that  your  physical  powers  are  good,  too.  Yes,  you  have 
good-sized  and  well-proportioned  hands,  and  your  arm  and 
shoulder  muscles  are  equally  good.  You  tell  me  you  have 
been  playing  ever  since  you  were  a  little  girl.  You  have 
been  at  the  piano,  no  doubt,  ten  years — not  taking  lessons 
all  the  time,  of  course — but  all  this  time  you  have  been  at 
work  at  your  music  in  some  shape?" 

Pupil:     "Yes." 

Examiner:  "Now,  let's  suppose  you  had  begun  work  at 
the  Clavier  and  with  a  teacher  who  was  intelligent  and 
honest,  and  who  was  more  anxious  for  your  future  good 
than  he  was  to  satisfy  your  present  desire  to  economize, 
and  instead  of  telling  you  that  you  could  get  along  without 
a  Clavier  and  a  book,  had  said  to  you  it  will  be  a  great  mis- 
take, indeed,  for  you  not  to  have  a  Clavier  to  practice  on, 
a  book  to  study  and  a  metronome;  these  are  the  three  ab- 
solute necessities.  I  say,  suppose  you  had  begun  with  such 
a  teacher  and  that  you  had  followed  his  advice,  what  do 
you  think  would  have  been  your  condition  to-day?  Why, 
I  can  assure  you  that  your  ten  years  at  the  piano,  with  your 
naturally  good  mental,  musical  and  physical  powers,  would 
have  made  you  to-day  an  artist;  but  bad  advice  and  wrong 
teaching  have  placed  you  where  you  are — and  where  is  that? 
Technically,  you  are  still  in  the  ranks  of  the  beginners, 
your  first  lessons  here  will  be  absolutely  beginning  lessons. 
The    economy   that    has    been    practiced    in    your    case    has 


proven  a  reckless  extravagance;  but  you  are  not  alone;  I 
am  constantly  examining  people  whose  experiences  are  al- 
most identical  with  your  own,  and  whose  condition  is  na 
better  than  is  yours;  we  have  several  others  now  in  school 
who  are  in  the  same  fix  that  you  are  in.  This  is  why  I  favor 
common  sense  in  the  study  of  music.  Education  in  music 
means  this." 


SPECIAL  INSTRUCTIONS 
TO   PARENTS 

Questions  to  Be  Submitted  to  the  Parents*  Classes 

DIRECTIONS — At  the  lessons  the  members  of  the  class 
will  copy  only  the  questions  printed  in  black  type.  Directions 
to  the  teacher  and  other  matter  following  the  questions  are 
for  the  teacher  to  study  and  digest  before  each  lesson,  as  an 
assistance  in  explaining  to  the  class  the  principles  involved  in 
the  question  last  given. 

Remarks  by  Teacher:  Every  building  must  be  erected  on 
a  foundation,  and  the  more  substantial  and  solid  the  founda- 
tion, the  greater  and  more  enduring  will  be  the  structure 
it  supports. 

The  piano  teacher's  business  is  to  build  players;  the  ar- 
tistic result  is  the  structure  erected;  the  pupil,  i.e.,  his  mind, 
his  purpose,  energy,  will,  his  body,  muscles  and  nerves  sup- 
ply the  material  out  of  which  the  foundation  is  constructed. 

The  thousands  upon  thousands  of  human  possibilities  at 
the  present  time,  between  the  ages  of  eight  years  and  forty 
who  are  anxiously  trying  to  erect,  each  upon  his  own  stock 
of  foundation  materials,  an  art  structure  of  no  mean  pro- 
portions and  who  are  working  to  little  and  many  to  abso- 
lutely no  purpose,  is  alarming.  Their  efforts  are  futile  for 
no  other  reason  than  that  the  foundation  materials  within 
themselves,  upon  which  the  art  edifice  must  rest,  are  not 
properly  utilized. 

A  human  being,  while  by  nature  a  possibility,  is  also  by 
nature  an  impossibility.  If  he  make  a  right  use  of  the  mate- 
rials which  nature  places  at  his  disposal,  he  is  a  natural  possi- 
bility. He  is,  on  the  other  hand,  a  natural  impossibility 
if  he  fail  to  make  a  right  use  of  nature's  materials. 

29 


It  is  not,  you  understand,  the  aim  to  make  artists  of  the 
members  of  the  Parents'  Classes,  but  rather  to  make  them 
know  how  artists  are  made,  and,  too,  how  failures  are  made? 
To  accomplish  these  things  we  must  teach  them  how  na- 
ture's foundation  materials  must  be  used,  in  order  that  they 
may  know  whether  or  not  their  children's  powers  and  talents 
are  being  rightly  directed,  and  further,  that  they  may  be  able 
to  lend  valuable  aid  to  the  teacher  who  is  instructing  their 
children  in  right  principles. 

The  cornerstone  of  the  foundation  upon  which  this  art 
structure  which  we  piano  teachers  are  attempting  to  erect 
for  our  pupils  is  health.  To  be  physically  and  mentally  well, 
is  nature's  first  requirement.  All  nature's  foundation  prin- 
ciples, upon  which  this  great  art  structure  rests,  will  of  their 
own  free  will  and  accord  move  more  gracefully  and  at  the 
proper  time  to  their  appointed  place  in  the  great  founda- 
tion wall  if  mind  and  body  are  in  right  condition.  A  sound 
and  vigorous  mind  cannot  inhabit  a  diseased  and  frail  body, 
therefore  health  must  be  a  first  consideration.  Health  comes 
largely  through  Deep  Breathing  and  proper  Physical  Ex- 
ercise. 

The  first  three  things  taught  are  Deep  Breathing,  Physical 
Exercises  and  Mental  Development  and  Control.  Every- 
thing else  in  the  work  of  the  music  pupil  hinges  largely  upon 
these  three  things. 


Question  i.     What  Breathing  Exercises  are  you  given  for 
daily  practice? 

Directions  to  Teachers:  Deep  breathing,  it  must 
be  explained,  improves  the  general  health,  purifies 
the  blood,  betters  the  condition  of  muscles,  helps  to 
develop  nerve  control,  increases  mental  activity, 
strengthens  memory,  improves  the  power  of  con- 
centration, equalizes  the  circulation.  Associated 
with  right  thinking,  with  proper  physical  exercises, 
with  prudent  and  proper  eating  and  drinking,  deep 
breathing  develops  a  healthy  body  and  mind.  Deep 
breathing  also  imparts  the  endurance,  suppleness 
and  activity  to  the  muscles  demanded  in  piano 
playing. 

Instruct  pupils  to  take  several  deep  inhalations  of 
pure  air  the  first  thing  on  rising,  before  they  take 
their  breakfast  every  morning,  not  occasionally,  but 

30       . 


as  regularly  as  the  mornings  come,  and  not  when 
they  feel  perfectly  well,  but  always,  unless  too  ill 
to  rise,  in  which  case  the  windows  should  be  opened 
wide,  admitting  the  pure  air,  and  the  breathing  prac- 
ticed while  lying  down.  As  the  pure  air  is  in- 
haled, thought  must  be  at  work,  and  the  thought 
must  be:     I  am  taking  in  health,  strength  and  life. 

It  may  be  here  stated,  however,  that  it  is  not  a 
part  of  a  music  teacher's  duties  to  give  instruction 
in  matters  of  diet,  the  music  teacher  has  enough 
else  to  do;  this  is  a  subject  which  must  be  left  to 
the  good  sense  of  parents.  There  are  parents  who 
are  consistent  enough  to  so  qualify  themselves  that 
they  are  able  to  benefit  their  children  as  greatly  in 
this  particular  as  they  can  in  their  music  studies. 
It  is  true  that  such  supervision  entails,  in  many 
cases,  quite  exacting  duties  upon  fathers  and 
mothers,  but  they  are  duties  from  which  no  thought- 
ful parent  ever  seeks  relief;  parents  who  are  not 
disposed  to  do  their  duty  by  their  children  in  these 
important  particulars  have  no  right  to  be  parents. 

The  pupil  is  first  taught,  as  explained  in  Special 
Breathing  Exercise  No.  i.  Book  L,  p.  224,  F.E., 
how  to  control  the  larynx  in  associating  the  breath- 
ing and  physical  exercises.  At  first,  thought  should 
be  directed  to  the  outward  action  of  the  abdominal 
and  waist  muscles  and  to  the  internal  sense  of  the 
downward  sinking  of  the  diaphragm.  As  soon  as 
the  muscular  action  described  is  clearly  established, 
at  each  inhalation  follow  the  outward  action  at  the 
waist  and  the  downward  action  of  the  diaphragm 
by  the  elevation  of  the  chest.  There  must,  how- 
ever, be  no  lifting  of  the  shoulders.  The  muscular 
action  at  each  inhalation  should,  as  stated,  start 
by  action  of  the  waist  and  abdominal  muscles,  but 
as  soon  as  these  are  consciously  well  in  action  the 
chest  should  be  allowed  to  rise.  For  example,  if 
an  inhalation  continue  during  five  beats  of  the 
metronome  at  60,  begin  the  muscular  action  at  the 
waist  at  the  first  pulse;  at  the  third  pulse  begin  the 
action  of  the  chest  muscles,  and  continue  the  in- 
halation and  united  muscular  movements  at  the 
waist,  diaphragm  and  chest  until  the  fifth  pulse.  At 
first,  i.e.,  in  beginning  the  breathing  practice,  do  not 
hold    the   breath    more    than    one    count,    later   the 

31 


breath  may  be  held  longer.  At  first  In  exhaling, 
see  that  the  muscular  action  is  so  controlled  that 
a  steady  action  is  made,  all  muscles  starting  easily 
and  together. 

Teachers  ought  never  to  tire  of  calling  the  pupil's 
attention  to  his  or  her — and  especially  her — breath- 
ing. Boys  and  men  ought  to  be  thorough  in  the 
practice  of  deep  breathing;  girls  and  women  ought 
to  be  very  thorough  in  the  practice  of  deep  breath- 
ing. 

If  parents  are  made  to  understand  the  importance 
of  deep  breathing  to  the  health  of  their  children, 
and  to  their  success  in  the  work  of  learning  to  play, 
in  fact  in  everything  they  undertake,  and  will  join 
them  daily  in  their  breathing  exercises,  aiming  to 
make  it  a  few  moments'  recreation,  it  will  not  be 
long  before  deep  breathing  will  have  become  a 
habit,  and  connected  with  it  there  will  be  a  con- 
scious feeling  of  increased  vitality.  Thus  health, 
strength  and  vigor  of  mind  and  body  will  grow 
with  the  growth  of  the  child  as  naturally  as  does  his 
stature  from  year  to  year;  and  so  will  the  health  and 
strength  of  parents  improve  if  they  will  only  join 
their  children  daily  in  their  breathing  exercises. 

Special  Breathing  Exercise  No.  2,  associated  with 
counting  with  the  metronome,  as  directed,  should 
be  explained  and  practiced. 

The  above  breathing  exercises  should  be  given  to 
the  Parents'  Classes,  the  teacher  giving  illustrations 
and  necessary  explanations.  State  that  this,  proper- 
ly, is  class  work.  Read  to  the  class  Quotation  No. 
298  in  ''Step  by  Step,"  also  Nos.  299,  300,  301  and 
302.  Suggest  to  the  members  of  the  class,  also,  that 
they  read  in  the  October,  1906,  number  of  The 
Clavier  and  Musical  Profession,  if  at  hand,  the  ar- 
ticle entitled,  "The  Importance  to  the  Pianist  of 
Habitual  Deep  Breathing  and  Daily  Physical  Ex- 
ercise." Read,  "Further  Suggestions  with  Regard 
to  the  Practice  of  Deep  Breathing"  in  "Step  by 
Step,"  p.  363. 

The  writer  does  not  hesitate  to  say  to  a  ^Parents* 
Class:  "Any  teacher  who  neglects  breathing  and 
physical  exercises  is  not  a  good  teacher."  He  wants 
Clavier  teachers  to  be  classed  under  the  head  of 
good  teachers.     The  teacher  who  is  compelled  to 

32 


I 


give  thirty-minute  lessons  will  be  obliged  to  neglect 
breathing  and  physical  exercises  almost  entirely. 
A  thirty-minute  teacher  cannot  possibly  be 
thorough. 


I  Question    2.       What   exercises   are   you   given   for   mental 
discipline?     Give  example. 

To  the  Teacher:  The  object  of  the  Mental  Train- 
ing Exercises  is  to  develop  the  power  to  memorize 
music,  and  when  once  in  mind  to  retain. 

As  a  means  of  schooling,  preparatory  to  memor- 
izing music,  all  exercises  and  studies  taken  should 
be   memorized,   recited   and   played   from   memory. 


Mental  Exercise,  No.  i. 

I.  50  to   120 

Division  (a) 


U  2,  3,  4, 


5,  6,  7,  8, 


8,  7,  6t  5, 


division  (b) 
t    A     ^f    ^t 


5,   6t   7,   8, 


%  JO,  lU  J2, 


'*t  7,  6,  5, 


JO,  J  J,  J2, 


4,    3,    2,    J, 


Division  (c) 


J3,  J4,  J5,  J6, 


r  7,   6,   5, 


4,  3,  2,  i. 


h 

2, 

3, 

4, 

'J6, 

15. 

14, 

I3J 

Division  (d) 

I.    2.   3,    4,  1 

1 

4, 

3, 

2, 

I, 

'J2, 

n. 

10, 

9, 

5. 

6, 

7, 

8, 

12, 

n. 

JO, 

9, 

5, 

6, 

7, 

8, 

JO,  J  J,  J2,t  J3,  J4,  J5,  J6, 


J7,  J8,  J9,  20, 


20,  J9,  J8,  J7, 


.J5,J4,J3,   J2,  JJ,  JO,   9,    8,    7,    6,    5,     4,   3,   2,    !• 


33 


If  at  first  trial  Division  A  is  recited  at  so  perfectly 
straight,  at  same  tempo  recite  Division  B,  and  so  on 
through  all  sections,  unless  hesitations  and  stumblings 
occur.  The  object,  understand,  is  not  so  much  to  go 
fast  as  to  go  straight;  straight  means  no  hesitating  or 
stumbling;  concentration  is  needed.  The  power  of 
mental  concentration  will  prevent  stumbling  in  the 
organs  of  speech.  The  same  power  will  prevent 
stumbling  in  the  fingers,  when  mind  and  fingers 
know  what  they  have  to  do  as  well  as  mind  and 
the  organs  of  speech  know  the  numbers.  The  pupil 
must  explain  each  division  of  the  exercise,  i.e.,  must 
give  the  first  and  highest  numbers,  etc. 

When  all  sections  have  been  recited  perfectly  at 
M.M.  50,  change  to  60,  and  so  on;  change  to  66,  72, 
80,  88,  96,  etc.,  thus  gradually  increase  the  tempo 
until  120  is  reached,  remembering  that  the  aim  is  to 
control  the  mind  to  go  absolutely  straight  and  not 
simply  to  know  the  numbers.  The  pupil  knows  the 
numbers,  but  does  he  know  them  straight,  so 
straight  that  the  organs  of  speech  will  not  stumble? 
Control,  mental  poise,  order,  through  that  great  soul 
power  Concentration,  are  what  is  needed  to  make 
one  go  straight.  Just  so  with  the  fingers;  they 
must  know  their  business  as  perfectly  as  the  organs 
of  speech  know  theirs;  if  they  do,  and  the  mind 
knows  its  business  equally  well,  there  will  be  no 
stumbling  fingers.  This  great  work,  getting  mental 
control — acquiring  the  power  to  concentrate  one's 
mind  on  the  one  single  subject  or  thing  to  be  done — 
demands  in  the  beginning  single,  simple  and  definite 
effort.  Who  would  go  sure  and  fast  in  this  work 
must  go  slow. 

This  exercise  ought  to  be  given  to  the  Parents' 
as  well  as  to  the  Pupils*  Classes.  To  make  the 
order  perfectly  clear,  the  exercise  should  be 
written  out  on  the  blackboard;  the  sight  sense 
is  always  a  valuable  assistance  to  the  mind.  The 
music  pupil  ought  always  to  see  on  the  page  the 
notes  of  every  exercise  played;  this  not  only  facili- 
tates music  reading,  but  it  also  aids  very  greatly 
in  the  acquisition  of  the  power  of  mind  concen- 
tration.    This  exercise  should  be  followed  by 

34 


Mental  Exercise,  No.  2. 


I  T.M 


Division  (a) 


A.  B.  C  D 

E,  F,  G,  H, 

H,  Gt  F,  E, 


D,  C  B,  A, 


Division  (b) 

4  A,  B,  Q  D, 


E»  F»  G»  H» 


I,    J,   K,   L, 


L,    K,   J,   I, 


4  H,  G,  F,  E, 


4  I.  J,  K,  L, 


D>  C>  B>  A, 
M,  N,  O.  P", 


4  H,  G,  F.  E, 


4  I,  J,  K.  L, 


4  P.  O,  N.  M, 


D. 

Q 

B, 

A, 

M, 

N, 

0. 

P, 

L, 

K, 

h 

I, 

Division  (c) 

A,  B,  C,  D, 

E. 

F,  G,  H, 

-p,  0,  N,  M, 

U 

K,   J,   I. 

Division  (d) 

A,  B,  C  D, 

E, 

F,  G,  H, 

Q,  Rf  S,  T, 


Ht  Gf  F»  Et 


D,  C,  B,  A. ! 


This  exercise  will  be  found  a  little  more  trouble- 
some than  the  preceding  one;  it  must  be  practiced 
in  th«  same  order  and,  if  possible,  with  still  greater 
care. 

Mental  Exercise  No.  3 

consists  of  the  following  three  short  sentences  of 
three  words  each,  which  are  to  be  memorized: 
First. — Mind   is   everything. 

Dr.  von  Biilow. 

Second. — Concentration  alone  conquers. 

Buxton. 

Third. — Knowledge  is  power. 

Bacon. 

In  the  two  preceding  mental  exercises  the  mind 
powers  demanded  were  Concentration,  Memory  and 


35 


Order;  no  idea  being  expressed,  the  Reflective  powcf 
was  not  demanded.  In  this  exercise  ideas  are  ex- 
pressed, hence  Reflection  is  aroused.  The  mental 
powers  employed  in  the  three  phrases  are  Con- 
centration, Memory,  Order  and  Reflection,  When 
a  variety  of  ideas  is  expressed  in  a  variety  of 
forms  and  by  a  variety  of  words,  as  in  the  three 
sentences  given,  if  the  four  powers  named  are  not 
all  in  action,  there  will  be  failure  to  express  the 
ideas  in  the  order  and  manner  given.  In  the 
rendering  of  music  all  the  same  mental  powers  are 
brought  into  action  with  the  addition  of  the  Mu- 
sical-Emotional, which  should  come  through  the  re- 
flective power.  Perfection  of  interpretation  in  the 
rendering  of  music  depends  upon  the  command  the 
performer  has  over  these  powers,  coupled  with  the 
power  of  Reason,  which  power  leads  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  Physical,  Mechanical  and  Tech- 
nical Powers.  For  these  reasons  a  piano  method 
founded  upon  educational  principles  must,  from  the 
very  beginning,  give  direct  attention  to  the  develop- 
ment in  logical  order  of  all  the  mental,  physical  and 
mechanical  powers.  When  this  course  is  taken,  the 
pupil  builds  on  a  solid,  intelligent  foundation;  he 
goes  faster  and  accomplishes  more — does  greater 
things — than  does  the  pupil  who  builds  on  the  one 
faculty,  the  musical-emotional,  because  all  his  facul- 
ties are  at  once  brought  directly  and  conjointly 
into  action.  It  is  because  of  these  facts  that  the 
lessons  in  mental  and  physical  training  are  given. 

The  pupil  who  is  being  rightly  taught  in  all  these 
branches  is  progressing  along  educational  lines  and 
is  the  one  who  eventually  accomplishes  great  things, 
indeed  we  never  know  what  a  learner's  capabilities 
are  until  all  his  faculties  have  been  reached  and 
developed.  It  is  in  this  respect,  i.e.,  in  the  sys- 
tematic training  of  all  the  faculties  that  the  Clavier 
Method  differs  from  all  other  piano  methods. 

Parents  who  understand  these  principles  are  in 
position  to  help  the  teacher  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  as  an  instructor.  If  parents  are  ignorant  of 
these  things  they  are  very  prone  to  interfere  with 
the  teacher  who  is  trying  to  give  instruction.  It 
is  to  secure  the  necessary  help  from  parents  that 
these  lessons  are  given. 

36  .    •    ^  ^      '    •■•  • 


The  teacher  should  explain  to  Parents'  Classes 
that  in  Pupils'  Classes,  to  test  and  improve  the 
memory  and  to  awaken  the  reflective  powers,  the 
pupils  are  questioned  upon  the  quotations  some- 
what as  follows: 

How  many  quotations  were  you  given  at  your 
last  lesson  to  learn?  Have  you  them  learned?  Who 
is  the  author  of  the  third  quotation?  Who  of  the 
first?  Who  of  the  second?  Please  recite  the  three 
quotations  in  the  order  given.  What  can  you  teli 
me  with  regard  to  the  author  of  the  first  quotation? 
What  of  the  author  of  the  second?  What  of  the 
author  of  the  third?  Please  recite  the  third  quota- 
tion. Now  if  knowledge  is  power,  what  must  ig- 
norance be?  Can  you  give  me  the  first  word  of 
each  of  the  three  quotations?  Please  do  so.  Mind 
is  what?  Concentration  does  what?  Knowledge 
is  what? 

If  the  members  of  this  class  have  ^lind — com- 
monly called  brains — and  Concentration  and  Knowl- 
edge, they  will  certainly  succeed;  if  any  fail,  we  shall 
know  that  they  are  lacking  in  some  of  these  most 
desirable  qualities.  If  one  should  succeed  better 
than  any  other  member  of  the  class,  i.e.,  get  ahead 
of  the  others,  we  shall  know  the  reason,  or,  if  any 
member  of  the  class  fall  behind  the  others,  we 
shall  know  the  reason. 

At  the  Parents'  Lessons  the  three  subjects,  Deep 
Breathing,  Physical  Training  and  Mental  Control, 
will  need  to  be  given  some  attention  at  every  lesson. 
These  are  very  important  matters,  and  as  at  the 
first  lesson  it  will  not  be  possible  to  give  more 
than  two  or  three  exercises  upon  each  subject, 
others  must  be  given  at  subsequent  lessons.  It  is 
impossible  to  get  over  the  ground  that  ought  to  be 
covered  in  a  Parents'  Class  in  three  lessons;  the 
writer  has  found  it  advisable  to  give  nine  lessons 
to  one  class.  It  is  better  to  announce  in  the  be- 
ginning three  lessons,  and  then  add  to  them  as  the 
interest  seems  to  demand.  At  lessons  following  the 
first,  it  will  be  well  to  read  to  the  parents  from 
"Step  by  Step"  such  quotations  as  the  pupils  in  the 
Pupils'  Classes  are  required  to  memorize  for  mental 
discipline  and  to  arouse  right  modes  of  thinking. 
Quotations  Nos.  124,  91,  8,  7,  4,  5,  no,  108,  104,  94, 

37 


172,  48,  31,  28,  22,  21,  i8,  i6,  2,  140,  146,  155,  172,  181, 
222,  54,  243,  161,  270,  176,  285  and  294  should  be  read 
at  the  different  lessons.  The  teacher  ought  also  to 
read  "The  Importance  of  Mental  Training"  in  "Step 
by  Step,"  p.  30;  also  "Object  of  the  Quotations,"  in 
"Thoughts  for  Those  Who  Think,"  p.  32. 

To  encourage  a  child  to  think  and  to  think  good 
and  valuable  thoughts  and  to  form  the  habit  of  so 
doing  is  an  essential  element  in  all  education.  The 
object  of  the  Quotations  in  "Step  by  Step"  is  to 
furnish  teachers  suitable  material  for  such  work.  It 
may  seem,  at  first  thought,  that  this  is  a  training 
not  demanded  in  the  study  of  music.  The  truth  is, 
in  no  other  schooling  is  it,  at  the  present  time,  so 
much  demanded  as  in  music.  The  common  practice 
in  music  teaching  has  always  been  such  that  the  be- 
lief everywhere  prevails  that  common-sense  thinking 
is  not  at  all  necessary  in  music  study;  to  feel  and 
enjoy  pleasing  melodies  is  all  that  is  demanded  is 
the  prevailing  opinion.  Why  is  it  that  the  vast 
majority  of  music  learners — they  can't  be  called 
students — are  eager  to  play  pieces  on  some  instru- 
ment or  to  sing  songs,  but  are  stupidly  opposed  to 
learning  playing  principles  or  the  principles  of  mu- 
sic, and  why  is  it  that  most  of  them  are  unable  to 
read  music  correctly  and  know  nothing  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  harmony.  How  is  it  that  our  amateur  mu- 
sicians— piano  pupils  especially — the  world  over  are 
in  this  condition?  The  answer  is:  because  it  has 
never  been  considered  a  part  of  the  music  teacher's 
work  to  train  the  mental  faculties;  the  musical  sense 
alone  receives  attention,  and  the  only  physical  train- 
ing bestowed  upon  playing  members  is  just  enough 
and  no  more  than  is  absolutely  necessary  to  enable 
them  to  execute  in  more  or  less  finished  style  the 
composition  in  hand.  Reserve  strength,  reserve  en- 
durance and  reserve  executive  skill  are  not  stored 
up.  Players  thus  trained  never  get  beyond  the 
level  of  common  mediocrity.  An  education  nar- 
rowed down  to  the  acquisition  of  the  musical  sense 
to  enjoy  an  enjoyable  composition,  and  the  finger 
skill  to  get  through  the  piece  without  serious  offence 
to  the  musical  effects  demanded,  is  not  education 
at  all. 

38 


Question  3.    What  Ear  Training  work  have  you  in  practice, 
or  have  you  been  given?    Give  example. 
To  the  Teacher:     To  cultivate  in  an  educational 
way  a  learner's  musical  sense,  tone  quality  and  pitch 
ought  to  be  the  first  subjects  considered.     A  piano 
tone  may  in  itself  be  in  tune  or  out  of  tune.    The 
first   discriminative   power   in  which   the   ear   of   a 
music  pupil  should  be  trained  is  the  power  to  dis- 
tinguish tone  quality,  a  good  from  a  bad  tone,  i.e., 
a  tone  in  tune  from  a  tone  out  of  tune. 
Question  4.    At  your  lessons  have  you  been  taught  to  listen 
to   single  tones  and  to  compare   one  tone 
with  another  to  distinguish  between  in  tune 
and  out  of  tune  tones?    If  so,  see  if  in  this 
piano  you  can  find  both  in  and  out  of  tune 
tones. 
A    piano    tone    in    tune    is    perfectly    even    and 
straight;  if  a  long  tone  it,  of  course,  diminishes  per- 
fectly evenly,  whereas  a  tone  out  of  tune  is  very 
different;  in  it  waves  and  beats  are  heard,  and  it 
diminishes  unevenly.    The  teacher  should  show  the 
pictures  representing  a  tone  in  tune  and  a  tone  out 
of  tune  (see  page  25,  Book  I.,  F.E.),  and,  if  possible, 
should  give  at  the  piano  examples  of  in  tune  and 
out  of  tune  tones.      In  modern   pianos,   explain,   a 
hammer  strikes  either  three  or  two  wires,  save  in 
six  or  eight  of  the  lowest  tones,  where  a  hammer 
strikes   but   one  wire — or   large  wound   string.      If 
the  three  or  two  wires  struck  by  the  same  hammer 
are  exactly  at  the  same  tension,  the  wires  will  vi- 
brate together  and  the  tone  produced  will  be  even, 
straight  and  perfectly  in  tune,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
if  the  three  or  two  wires  struck  by  the  same  ham- 
mer are  not  at  exactly  the  same  tension,  the  wires 
will  not  vibrate  together  and  the  tone  produced  will 
be  wavy  and  out  of  tune,  and  the  services  of  a  piano- 
tuner  are  needed. 

Accustoming  young  players,  or  old  ones  either,  to 
hear  tones  that  are  out  of  tune  is  ruin  to  the  car 
and  to  the  musical  sense  and  to  the  acquisition  of 
accuracy  in  execution.  Accustoming  young  fingers 
to  a  bad  touch,  such  as  cheap  pianos  are  noted  for, 
is  as  damaging  to  the  touch  as  out-of-tune  tones 
are  to  the  ear.  The  player  whose  ear  and  touch  arc 
bad  is  a  failure. 

39 


It  is  not  possible  for  any  learner  to  acquire  a  cor- 
rect car  and  the  skill  to  produce  musical  tone  by 
the  use  of  a  piano  that  is  out  of  tune,  and  that  has 
a  bad,  uneven,  unsympathetic  touch.  Still  it  is  an 
old  and  a  very  common  opinion,  so  common,  in  fact, 
that  almost  everyone  endorses  and  practices  it — 
although  it  may  possibly  not  be  quite  as  universally 
accepted  now  as  was  the  case  years  ago — that  any 
old  piano  is  good  enough  to  begin  on,  if  only  it  has 
the  regular  number  of  keys;  tone  and  touch  quite  im- 
material in  tune  or  out  of  tune,  it's  all  the  same;  one 
or  even  two  tones  below  standard  pitch  doesn't  mat- 
ter; these  are  all  minor  considerations.  The  keys 
are  the  main  thing;  there  must,  of  course,  be  a  key 
to  match  every  note  on  the  music  page,  or  else 
what  are  the  notes  for,  and  what  would  there  be 
for  the  fingers  to  do? 

There  never  existed  a  greater  error.  Good  tone, 
good  touch,  in  tune  are  the  qualities  in  a  piano 
which  untrained  ears  and  fingers  need  more  im- 
peratively, if  possible,  than  do  cultivated  ears  and 
skilled  fingers;  the  latter,  in  fact,  will  not  tolerate 
for  a  moment  an  instrument  of  bad  tone  or  bad 
touch  or  that  is  out  of  tune,  but  the  poor  innocent, 
unwary  beginner,  who  is  trying  to  cultivate  a  mu- 
sical ear  and  a  musical  touch,  must  take  whatever 
he  can  get  and  be  thankful. 

Following  the  study  of  single  tones  the  next 
things  in  order  should  be  the  study  of  simple  pass- 
ages and  three-tone  chords,  for  the  purpose  of 
arousing  a  keen  conception  and  appreciation  of  mu- 
sical effects  when  tones  are  thus  employed.  At  this 
point  in  the  study  of  tone,  listening  to  tonal  effects 
of  an  unmusical  character  in  passages  and  chords 
is  specially  damaging.  For  example,  unmusical, 
monotonous  five-finger  exercises  which  are  neces- 
sarily purely  mechanical  and  often  dissonant  should 
be  avoided,  also  the  playing,  or  rather  the  fumbling, 
of  chords  such  as  are  found  in  simple  pieces  and 
exercises,  ought  never  to  be  heard  on  the  piano 
until  the  fingers  have  been  trained  properly  to  pre- 
pare themselves  and  the  arms  and  hands  to  make 
right  chord  movements.  Acute  and  appreciative 
hearing  of  tones  and  tonal  effects  does  not  come 
through  listening  to  bad   tones   and  crude  musical 


effects.  The  piano  should  be  used  only  in  pro- 
ducing music  or  in  the  practice  of  exercises  of  a 
musical  character. 

Five  distinct,  well-defined  objects  were  sought 
in  the  construction  of  the   Clavier. 

The  first  was  to  make  it  possible  to  apply  con- 
sistent educational  principles  in  foundational  piano 
teaching. 

The  second  was  to  establish  the  fact  in  the 
minds  of  teachers,  learners  and  parents  that  there 
is  a  marked  difference  between  playing  the  piano 
and  learning  to  play,  and  that  the  latter  must  pre- 
cede the  former,  that  is,  the  pupil  must  know  how 
to  play  before  he  attempts  to  play. 

The  third  was  to  greatly  facilitate  the  acquisition 
of  true  artistic  technical  skill. 

The  fourth  was  to  furnish  teachers  of  the  piano 
as  definite  knowledge  what  to  teach  and  how  to 
teach  as  is  possessed  by  teachers  of  arithmetic, 
grammar,  chemistry,  etc.  (Uncertain  teaching 
leads  to  uncertain  learning,  and  both  lead  to  uncer- 
tain and  unmusical  playing.) 

The  fifth  was  to  spare  the  ear  and  the  nerves  and 
to  save  the  tone  and  action  of  a  good  piano  from 
useless  and  unnecessary  wear. 

First  of  all  get  a  piano  that  has  a  good  tone  and 
a  good  touch,  then  take  care  of  it;  keep  it  in  tune; 
keep  it  closed  when  not  actually  in  use;  keep  it  in 
a   dry  place  and  out  of  a  draft. 

Preserve  the  freshness,  beauty  and  evenness  of 
tone  by  using  it  only  for  the  playing  of  music  or 
exercises  of  a  musical  character.  Tone  is  put  to 
a  wrong  use  when  it  is  employed  for  any  other 
purpose  than  to  produce  musical  effects.  The 
average  learner,  who  from  the  outset  uses  tone 
strictly  as  here  suggested,  acquires  a  far  better 
understanding  and  a  much  deeper  and  more  intelli- 
gent appreciation  of  music  than  does  the  one  who 
begins  his  so-called  music  study  by  thrumming  on 
the  piano  unmusical  exercises  in  the  unmusical 
fashion  so  universally  adopted. 

Do  the  dry  mechanical  drudgery  on  a  toneless 
keyboard,  even  learn  musical  exercises  and  pieces 
on  the  same  instrument,  do  not  go  to  the  musical 
instrument  with  the  exercise  or  piece  until  it  is  so 


well  in  the  fingers  that  the  musical  effects  de- 
manded are  easily  produced. 

"We  are  now  ready,"  say  to  the  class,  **to  take  up 
the  subject  of  Technic — how  to  acquire  execution. 
One  of  the  first  things  to  be  done  is  to  get  the 
hands  in  right  position  for  playing.  Mechanical 
knowledge  is  what  is  needed.  The  learner  must 
be  made  to  know — when  his  fingers  are  first  brought 
into  action — what  mechanically  a  right  hand  posi- 
tion is;  he  must  be  made  to  know  why  a  correct 
position  is  correct,  and  why  an  incorrect  position 
is  incorrect;  he  must  also  be  made  to  under- 
stand that  it  is  perfectly  easy  to  get  a  right  po- 
sition if  the  one  single  thing,  Position,  is  at  a 
given  time  made  the  subject  of  study.  This  is 
bringing  the  intelligence  and  the  mechanical  sense 
together,  and  physical  feeling  may  easily  be  brought 
in  to  assist  the  other  two  senses." 

Please  write  question  four. 

Question  4.    Will  you  place  your  hands  in  playing  position 
on  this  table  or  on  the  keyboard? 

Say  to  the  class:  "If  you  find  the  term  Playing 
Position  is  not  a  familiar  expression  to  your  chil- 
dren, then  say,  well,  place  your  hands  on  the  table 
or  keys  as  you  would  if  you  were  going  to  play 
quite  slowly  from  C  up  to  G,  and  back. 

"At  this  point,"  say  to  the  class,  "we  give  pupils 
a  very  important  quotation  to  memorize;  it  is  this: 
'The  hand  that  follows  the  intellect  can  achieve.' — 
Michael  Angelo." 

At  the  lesson  following  the  one  at  which  the 
hand-shaping  and  the  quotation  were  given,  before 
the  hands  are  shaped,  the  pupil  or  class  are  asked 
to  recite  the  quotation  and  to  tell  all  they  have  been 
able  to  learn  of  its  author.  The  teacher  says: 
"Michael  Angelo  was  a  great  authority,  so  if  you, 
or  any  of  you,  have  not  achieved  sufficient  control 
over  your  hands  to  take  a  good  hand  position,  then 
your  hand  does  not  yet  follow  your  intellect;  either 
the  mind  is  not  perfectly  clear  as  to  what  a  correct 
hand  position  is,  or  you  have  not  had  sufficient 
practice  in  hand-shaping.  What  was  the  third  quo- 
tation you  learned  at  your  first  lesson  upon  the 
subject  of  concentration?     Please  recite  it." 

42 


The  pupil  or  class  recites:  "Concentration  alone 
conquers." 

"Yes,  it  is  possible  you  have  failed  to  concentrate 
your  mind  sufficiently  upon  this  mechanical  work 
of  getting  your  hands  into  a  right  position;  we 
shall  hope  that  by  your  next  lesson  your  hands  will 
be  in  shape." 

The  teacher,  before  giving  this  lesson  to  the 
Parents'  Class,  must  have  made  the  subject  of  hand- 
shaping  a  thorough  study;  must  know  why  a  right 
position  is  right,  and  why  a  wrong  position  is 
wrong;  must  have  the  words  of  explanation  right  on 
his  lips.  He  must  read  up  the  subject  in  the  F.  E. 
and  in  "Step  by  Step."  It  must  also  be  made  clear 
to  the  Parents'  Class  that  if  they  find  their  children's 
hands  in  wrong  position,  and  the  children  have  no 
recollection  of  ever  having  been  given  any  exact 
hand  position,  and  they  are  unable  to  give  correct 
mechanical  reasons  why  a  certain  hand  position  is 
right  and  another  is  wrong;  I  say,  if  they  find 
their  children  in  the  condition  above  stated,  they 
must  be  made  to  understand  that  the  technical  prin- 
ciple of  first,  and  therefore  of  greatest  importance, 
is  being  neglected. 

Please  write  question  five. 

Question  5.    Can  you  give  me  the  four  ground  rules  of  piano 
plajdng?    If  so,  please  recite  them. 

Say  to  the  class:  "When  you  ask  your  children 
to  recite  the  four  ground  rules  of  piano  playing,  it 
will  be  no  surprising  thing  if  they  cannot  do  it. 
The  four  ground  rules  of  arithmetic  are  Addition, 
Subtraction,  Multiplication  and  Division.  Every 
one  who  has  ever  enjoyed  any  mathematical  school- 
ing knows  the  four  ground  rules  of  arithmetic,  be- 
cause educational  principles  are  followed  in  teach- 
ing mathematics.  In  piano  playing  ground  rules 
naturally  exist — as  much  so  as  in  arithmetic — but 
so  little  attention  is  paid  to  educational  principles 
in  the  teaching  of  music  and  particularly  in  teach- 
ing the  piano,  that  very  few  piano  pupils  have  heard 
anything  about  ground  rules. 

"The  four  ground  rules  of  piano  playing  are:  ist. 
Position;    2d,    Condition;    3d,    Action;    4th,    Order. 

43 


Two  of  these  four  important  rules  of  piano  playing 
have  already  been  made  some  use  of,  viz.,  the  first, 
Position,  and  the  fourth.  Order;  the  latter  is  reached 
through  the  mental  training  exercises." 

Say  to  the  class:  "We  have  only  spoken  of  hand 
position;  body  position  is  as  important  as  hand 
position." 

Please  write  question  six. 

Question  6.  What  body  position  have  you  been  taught  to 
take  at  the  piano?  Please  take  the  position 
at  the  piano  that  you  have  been  taught  is 
the  correct  one. 

The  teacher  ought  now  to  take  position  at  the 
table,  the  wrong  position  first,  with  the  knees  quite 
a  little  under  the  edge  of  the  table,  not  too  far, 
though,  about  three  or  four  inches;  he  should  place 
the  hands  in  position  on  the  edge  of  the  table, 
inclining  the  body  backward  from  the  table,  say- 
ing: "Many  pupils  are  indulged  in  sitting  at  the 
piano  in  this  way,  the  knees  under  the  piano  and 
the  body  inclining  backward,  as  I  am  now  sitting." 
The  teacher  should  then  take  the  right  position, 
and  explain:  "This  is  the  correct  position,  the 
knees  a  little  out  from  under  the  front  end  of  the 
keys,  and  the  body  slightly  inclined  forward." 

The  teacher  should  explain,  also,  that  a  very  com- 
mon but  wrong  practice  is  to  allow  pupils  to  sit 
too  high,  so  high  that  they  are  reaching  down  upon 
the  keys.  It  should  be  explained  that  the  player 
must  sit  so  far  back  from  the  instrument  that, 
though  the  body  is  inclined  forward,  when  the 
hands  are  placed  upon  the  keys  the  elbows  are 
about  two  inches  in  front  of  the  body.  "This  po- 
sition," say  to  the  class,  "enables  the  player  to  reach 
the  upper  and  lower  ends  of  the  keyboard  easily  by 
inclining  the  body  in  the  direction  of  the  hands, 
while  at  the  same  time  the  fingers  are  able  to 
keep  their  right  relation  to  the  keys,  i.e.,  parallel, 
scale  or  arpeggio  relation  as  may  be  required." 

It  should  be  explained  that  the  player  ought  to 
sit  at  an  elevation  which  brings  the  lower  side  of 
the  forearms,  when  the  fingers  are  in  position  on 
the  keys,  level   and  just   about  on  a   line   with  the 

44  i 


surface  of  the  white  keys.  It  must  be  made  clear 
that  the  right  relation  of  the  body  to  the  keyboard 
in  all  respects  is  a  matter  of  very  great  importance; 
ease  of  execution,  quality  of  tone,  velocity,  power 
and  the  general  effectiveness  of  one's  playing  are 
all  greatly  influenced  by  a  right  or  a  wrong 
position  at  the  instrument.  The  time  to 
make  all  these  things  right  is  the  first  time  a 
pupil  takes  position  at  the  table  or  piano.  Only 
a  few  days'  practice  with  the  body  too  near  the 
instrument  or  table,  or  on  too  high  a  chair  is  suffi- 
cient to  get  a  wrong  position  habit  so  established 
that  were  a  right  position  insisted  upon  the  pupil 
would  feel  that  his  accustomed  position  was  much 
easier  and  better,  and  would  argue  that  there  was 
some  peculiarity  about  his  build  that  made  the  right 
position  wrong  and  the  wrong  position  in  his  par- 
ticular case  right,  and  he  would  be  perfectly  honest 
in  his  view,  when  in  all  probability  there  was  no 
body  peculiarity  at  all.  Force  of  habit  is  a  thing 
which  leads  to  all  sorts  of  peculiar  notions.  Habit 
has  so  powerful  an  influence  over  mind  and  body 
that  a  few  days  of  wrong  thinking  and  wrong  act- 
ing may  lead  to  errors  that  stand  directly  in  the 
way  of  success  unless  the  wrong  habit  of  thinking 
and  acting  is  broken  up.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
"Truth  must  be  the  first  lesson  to  a  child."  The 
teacher  should  say  to  the  class  that  these  are 
among  the  many  things  that  are  looked  upon  as 
little  things,  so  little,  indeed,  that  teachers  fail  to 
see  their  importance.  At  this  point,  say  to  the  class: 
"We  give  to  pupils  this  quotation  to  memorize,  *He 
that  neglects  the  little  things  shall  fail  little  by 
little.'— H'ebrew  Proverb." 

Say  to  the  class:  "When  you  ask  your  children 
to  give  an  illustration  of  position  at  the  piano,  if 
you  see  that  their  position  is  wrong,  you  may  be 
reasonably  sure  that  they  have  never  been  taught 
what  a  right  position  is;  if  you  question  them  on 
the  subject,  the  fact  will  doubtless  be  revealed 
that  they  know  very  little  about  position;  indeed, 
have  had  very  little  definite  instruction  upon  the 
subject.  Their  teachers  had  looked  upon  these  as 
'little  things,'  too  small  and  insignificant  to  be 
worthy  of  their  attention,  when,  in  fact,  they  are 

45 


so  very  great  that  their  neglect^ will  in  all  prob- 
ability stand  directly  in  the  way  of  their  pupils  ever 
becoming  players." 

Such  teachers  as  Marcus  Aurelius  says,  are  "de- 
ceiving themselves;  the  things  are  not  too  small, 
but  too  great  for  them." 

The  teacher  should  look  up  the  subject  of  po- 
sition in  the  F.  E.  and  in  "Step  by  Step,"  and  be 
prepared  to  explain  thoroughly  the  importance  of 
having  the  body  and  the  hands  in  the  best  possible 
position,  and,  too,  the  great  necessity  of  doing  this 
work  at  the  table  before  the  piano  is  touched. 

Please  write  question  seven. 

Question  7.  What  special  exercises  have  you  been  given 
for  gaining  a  conscious  knowledge  and  con- 
trol of  muscular  conditions?  Give  illustra- 
tions. I 

"The  second  ground  rule,"  say  to  the  class,  "of 
piano  playing  is  here  introduced,  namely.  Condition. 
It  is  not  sufficient  that  a  pupil's  muscles  are  in  a 
right  condition;  he  must  know  that  such  is  their 
condition.  It  frequently  is  far  more  difficult  to  get 
the  muscles  of  those  who  have  been  playing  the 
piano  wrongly  for  years  into  a  right  condition  than 
it  is  to  secure  such  condition  in  the  muscles  of 
children  who  have  never  played  at  all.  The  ex- 
ercise," say  to  the  class,  "that  I  shall  now  show 
you  is  a  relaxing  exercise.  It  is  one,  too,  that  is 
more  necessary  for  those  who  have  played  the  piano 
for  some  time  and  who  have  acquired  muscular 
conditions  that  are  more  or  less  wrong,  than  it  is 
for  children  who  are  absolute  beginners." 

Here  the  teacher  should  go  through  Special  Physi- 
cal Exercise  No.  20,  Book  I.,  p.  246,  F.  E.  The 
teacher  should  practice  the  exercise  himself  until 
he  is  perfectly  familiar  with  the  movements  re- 
quired, and  until  he  is  conscious  of  a  feeling  of 
perfect  relaxation  throughout  the  entire  body.  No 
one  is  ever  capable  of  teaching  this  exercise,  and 
of  getting  the  good  out  of  it  that  is  in  it,  who  has 
not  felt  its  effects  himself. 

The  teacher,  for  example,  should  say  to  the 
Parents'  Class:     "I  shall  be  obliged,  in  giving  you 

46 


this  .exercise,  to  play  the  part  of  both  teacher  and 
pupil;  I  shall  direct  myself  as  if  I  were  teaching  a 
pupil.  Please  take  this  chair.  I  want  you  to  take 
as  reclining  a  position  as  possible;  lie  back,  and 
straighten  your  legs  in  this  fashion" — at  the  same 
time  taking  the  position  required — "do  not  let  your 
arms  lie  on  your  lap,  but  allow  them  to  hang  down 
loosely  by  your  sides;  let  your  head  rest  against 
the  back  of  the  chair"  (or,  if  the  back  of  the  chair 
is  too  low,  let  the  head  drop  forward  until  the  chin 
rests  on  the  chest);  "make  no  movements  at  all; 
close  the  eyes,  in  order  that  you  may  be  better 
able  to  concentrate  your  thoughts  upon  yourself,  i.e., 
upon  the  condition  of  your  body;  think  of  nothing 
but  rest,  relaxation,  still.  Make  no  movement  until 
I  direct  you  what  movement  to  make.  I  shall  ask 
you  several  questions  which  will  require  the  answer: 
Yes  or  No.  Think  before  you  speak,  and  let  us 
see  how  many  answers  you  can  give  without  making 
a  mistake.  Are  your  arms,  hands,  and  fingers  per- 
fectly still?  Is  your  head  "still?  Are  they  still  be- 
cause you  make  them  so?  You  mean  to  say,  then, 
that  you  possess  the  power  to  keep  these  important 
members  of  your  body  still?  Can  you  keep  the 
same  members  of  my  body  still?  Do  you  under- 
stand that,  naturally,  every  person  possesses  the 
same  controlling  power  over  his  own  bodily  mem- 
bers that  you  have  shown  that  you  have  over 
yours?  As  you  sit  here  so  quietly,  is  there  any 
action  about  your  body?"  (If  the  answer  is  No, 
it  is  incorrect,  and  must  be  corrected;  it  must  be 
Yes.)  "There  is  action,  you  say,  about  your  body; 
what  causes  this  action?  Yes,  it  is  your  breathing; 
you  do  not  make  the  breathing  muscles  act,  do  you? 
These  muscles  are  located  in  the  middle  of  the 
body,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  waist,  are  they  not?  You 
are  breathing  easily  and  naturally,  and  the  breath- 
ing muscles  act  freely  and  of  their  own  accord, 
do  they  not? 

"There  are  two  kinds  of  bodily  movements,  one 
is  called  involuntary,  the  other  voluntary;  the  form- 
er are  the  movements  which  make  themselves;  the 
latter  are  the  movements  we  make,  or  that  are 
made  by  direction  of  the  will.  You  are  now  breath- 
ing   quite    easily    without    effort;    there    is    a    kind 

47 


of  breathing  known  as  deep  breathing,  in  which  the 
same  muscles  are  used,  but  the  inhalation  is  longer 
continued,  which  causes  the  muscular  action  to  be 
greater  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  time  the 
inhalation  continues.  Keeping  your  easy  position, 
and  with  your  thoughts  fixed  upon  the  waist  mus- 
cles, I  want  you  gradually  to  lengthen  your  in- 
halations, allowing  action  only  at  the  waist.  I  shall 
count  slowly,  not  faster  than  M.  M.  60;  I  want 
you,  the  first  time,  to  continue  the  inhalation  while 
I  count  three,  and  then  as  gradually  exhale  during 
three  counts.  I  shall  next  count  four  twice,  then 
five  twice,  and  I  want  you  to  inhale  and  exhale 
as  you  did  when  I  counted  three.  Fix  your  thoughts 
on  the  breathing  muscles  and  be  sure  that  they  act 
steadily  and  thoroughly  and  that  there  is  action 
nowhere  else.  This  is  the  beginning  of  deep  breath- 
ing; we  must  drop  the  subject  for  the  present,  but 
shall  resume  it  at  following  lessons. 

"We  have  learned  that  involuntary  muscular 
movements  may  be  made  subject  to  mental  control, 
and  that  though  the  muscles  act  naturally,  i.e., 
without  mental  dictation,  still,  aided  by  the  intelli- 
gence, they  are  able  to  do  the  work  to  which  na- 
ture assigns  them  with  increased  effectiveness. 
'Mind  is  everything';  voluntary  and  involuntary 
movements  must  be  presided  over  by  the  intelli- 
gence if  the  greatest  effectiveness  is  to  be  obtained, 
and  in  nothing  the  hands  do  is  it  more  necessary 
for  bodily  movements,  voluntary  and  involuntary, 
to  be  controlled  by  the  intelligence  than  in  playing 
the  piano. 

"Please  observe  the  movements  I  make.  My 
arms,  as  you  see,  are  hanging  straight  down  by  my 
sides,  and  they  are  in  a  perfectly  supple  condition. 
I  lift  my  right  arm  very  slowly  by  action  from 
the  shoulder;  I  hold  it  still,  now  that  it  has  reached 
this  horizontal  position.  The  action  by  which  my 
arm  was  lifted  was  at  the  shoulder;  my  arm  is 
still  straight,  but  my  hand  is  hanging;  the  relation 
of  the  hand  to  the  arm  kept  gradually  changing 
while  the  arm  was  being  lifted;  my  hand,  as  you 
see,  now  hangs  loosely  from  the  wrist.  The  action 
at  the  shoulder,  by  which  the  arm  was  lifted,  was 
a  voluntary  action;  mind  directed  it.     The  action 

48 


at  the  wrist,  by  which  the  hand  came  to  its  hang- 
ing position,  was  entirely  involuntary;  the  action 
made  itself;  the  intelligence  had  nothing  to  do  but 
to  preserve  supple  conditions  in  the  muscles. 

"Every  playing  movement  is  a  combination  of 
the  two  actions:  the  voluntary  and  the  involuntary. 
The  study  of  the  second  of  the  four  ground  rules 
of  piano  playing,  namely.  Condition,  means  learn- 
ing how  to  make  the  great  variety  of  playing  move- 
ments demanded,  at  any  required  rate  of  velocity 
and  at  all  grades  of  power,  always  preserving  the 
involuntary  action,  which  naturally  accompanies  the 
voluntary  action.  The  secret  of  good  tone,  so  gen- 
erally attributed  to  the  soul  of  the  performer,  is 
more  due,  at  least  is  more  directly  due,  to  his 
intelligence  and  power  to  so  control  the  condition 
of  his  muscles  and  nerves  that  the  proper  involun- 
tary action  accompanies  every  playing  movement 
than  to  his  soul. 

"The  soul  is  undoubtedly  a  very  important  fac- 
tor in  playing  the  piano,  but  it  is  the  fingers  that 
touch  the  keys;  if  they  do  their  work  wrongly,  bad 
effects  will  be  produced;  if  they  do  their  work  right- 
ly, good  effects  will  be  produced.  With  the  average 
person,  trained  fingers  have  greater  power  to  im- 
prove the  soul's  sense  of  appreciation  than  the  soul 
has  to  improve  the  skill  of  the  fingers  in  execution." 

After  holding  the  arm  perfectly  still  in  its  up- 
lifted position  for  a  moment,  with  the  hand  hanging, 
let  it  return  slowly  to  its  hanging  position  at  the 
side.  Again  lift  the  arm — this  time  a  little  more 
quickly — to  the  same  horizontal  position,  with  the 
hand  hanging.  The  teacher  says  to  the  pupil:  "You 
are  now  holding  your  arm  in  position  by  a  muscular 
supporting  effort;  at  count  three,  stop  this  effort, 
i.e.,  release  the  muscles  and  allow  the  arm  to  drop 
naturally  to  its  hanging  position."  The  pupil  fol- 
lows the  teacher's  direction.  The  arm-dropping 
movement  made  by  the  pupil  will  generally  be 
wrong,  consequently  the  teacher  must  give  illustra- 
tions of  dropping  movements  which  show  right  and 
wrong  conditions.  When  muscular  conditions  are 
right,  and  the  dropping  movement  is  made  natural- 
ly, the  arm  starts  promptly  at  count  three  without 
show  of  stiffness  or  effort,  and  when  it  reaches  its 

49 


hanging  position  it  does  not  at  once  remain  dead 
still,  but  shows  a  natural  gentle  oscillation,  giving 
the  appearance  of  naturalness  and  ease.  When 
muscular  conditions  are  wrong,  there  will  often  be 
a  show  of  effort  and  stiffness  in  the  start  of  the 
arm,  caused  by  unnecessary  muscular  contraction, 
and  as  the  arm  reaches  its  hanging  position,  the 
same  contracted  condition  of  muscles  will  cause  the 
arm  and  hand  to  remain  instantly  perfectly  still  in- 
stead of  vibrating  naturally. 

To  the  trained  eye  of  the  teacher,  right  and 
wrong  muscular  conditions,  accompanying  playing 
movements,  are  as  perceptible  as  are  good  and  bad 
tonal  effects  to  the  most  highly  musically  trained 
ear.  Right  and  wrong  muscular  conditions  are  the 
cause  of  good  and  bad  tonal  effects.  The  teacher 
with  the  trained  eye,  who  is  intelligent  with  regard 
to  the  true  causes  of  tonal  effects,  if  the  tonal  effect 
is  bad,  at  once  aims  his  efforts  at  the  cause — the 
musician,  on  the  contrary,  who  relies  wholly  on  his 
exquisitely  trained  ear,  overlooks  the  mechanical 
cause,  and  aims  his  efforts  at  the  musical  effects 
themselves,  resorting  to  no  legitimate  and  positive 
means  for  their  improvement.  Teachers  of  the 
latter  class  try  to  train  fingers  through  the  soul, 
and  not  through  the  intelligence  and  the  control  of 
muscles  and  mechanical  movements.  There  is  no 
reason  why  the  best  musician  in  the  world  should 
not  adopt  in  foundational  piano  teaching  methods 
which  appeal  to  the  intelligence  and  physical  and 
mechanical  sense  of  the  learner,  nor  is  there  any 
reason  why  teachers  who  make  use  of  true  educa- 
tional principles  in  foundational  piano  teaching 
should  not  at  the  proper  time,  i.e.,  when  fingers  are 
rightly  prepared,  appeal  to  and  make  use  of  the 
musical  soul  sense  of  the  pupil.  Indeed,  teachers 
who  take  this  latter  course  always  do  appeal  to  the 
musical  soul  sense,  but  their  educational  intelli- 
gence tells  them  when  the  proper  time  arrives  for 
such  appeal  to  be  made.  This  means  Education  in 
Music. 

The  teacher  should  explain  to  the  Parents'  Class 
that  the  movements  that  have  been  practiced  with 
the  right  arm  should  be  repeated  with  the  left  arm, 
and  then  with  the  two  arms  together. 

SO 


Directions  to  the  Teacher 

Next  the  teacher  should  take  position  at  the  table, 
place  both  hands  upon  it,  fingers  straight,  palms 
down.  Say  to  the  class:  "The  exercise  I  am  now 
going  to  show  you  is  for  gaining  control  of  the 
muscles  of  the  arms  and  body  in  practical  playing. 
This  is  a  very  necessary  exercise  for  all  pupils  to  prac- 
tice. My  hands  are  resting  on  the  table  lightly,  i.e., 
only  the  natural  weight  of  my  arms  is  upon  my 
hands;  I  do  not  press  at  all;  all  my  muscles  are  at 
rest.  I  now  begin  a  slowly  increasing  pressure  upon 
the  table,  my  thoughts  are  fixed  upon  my  muscles  to 
note  the  gradually  changing  conditions  as  the 
pressure  increases.  As  I  press  gradually  harder  and 
harder,  I  feel  the  muscular  action  first  in  my  hands, 
then  up  my  arms  to  my  shoulders,  and  finally  all 
through  the  body.  I  keep  up  the  forcible  pressure 
a  moment,  then  begin  very  slowly  to  lessen  the 
muscular  effort,  gradually  returning  to  the  original 
condition  of  rest.  In  this  way  thought  is  brought 
into  the  muscles.  Muscles  that  follow  the  intellect 
become  intelligent  muscles,  capable  of  contracting 
and  relaxing  at  the  will  of  the  player.  Muscles  thus 
trained  are  able  to  produce  all  grades  and  shades 
of  tone  power  and  quality.  I  next  bring  my  hands 
to  playing  position  and  repeat  the  same  slow,  grad- 
ual pressure  and  releasing  effort.  This  time,  while 
the  arm,  shoulder  and  body  muscles  are  as  much 
taxed  as  before,  the  finger  muscles  are  especially 
exercised." 

The  teacher  should  now  lift  all  fingers  from  the 
table  but  the  third,  and  again  go  through  the  slow 
pressure  and  releasing  effort  on  the  one  finger.  In 
like  manner  he  should  make  use  of  all  the  fingers 
singly  in  the  following  order:  second,  fourth,  first, 
fifth.  The  object,  say  to  the  class,  of  this  ex- 
ercise is  to  search  out  and  develop  the  muscles  that 
are  connected  with  the  fingers  and  thus  bring  them 
consciously  into  action  with  the  fingers  for  the  pur- 
pose, first,  of  bringing  them  more  thoroughly  under 
mental  control,  and,  second,  to  improve  their 
strength,  firmness  and  activity.  The  great  impor- 
tance of  this  exercise,  it  should  be  explained,  is  to 
get  that  most  desirable  condition  into  the  fingers, 
namely.  Firmness.     The  fingers  of  "the  hand  that 

St 


follows  the  intellect"  arc  the  only  fingers  that  ever 
learn  to  produce  good  tone,  that  ever  acquire  the 
skill  to  do  rapid  and  effective  chord  and  octave 
plajdng,  and  that  do  good  phrasing.  This  kind  of 
finger  discipline  ought  to  be  commenced — of  course 
carefully  with  children — ^just  as  soon  as  the  hands 
and   fingers  are  properly  shaped. 

Following  the  above  exercise  (see  Ex.  15,  Sees. 
A  and  B,  Book  I.,  F.  E.),  the  teacher  should  place 
both  hands  in  playing  position  on  the  edge  of  the 
table  as  if  on  the  piano  keys;  after  pressing  a  few 
times  slowly  and  releasing  the  pressure,  avoiding 
any  depression  of  the  first  or  knuckle  joints  or  sink- 
ing back  of  the  third  joints,  he  should  lift  the  arms, 
the  hands  hanging  and  the  fingers  firmly  held  in 
their  curved  playing  position,  and  after  holding  them 
for  a  moment  suspended  above  the  table  six  or  eight 
inches,  the  hands  should  be  dropped  upon  the  table 
to  the  playing  position  just  left.  If  the  muscles  are 
in  a  properly  supple  condition  there  will  be  a  natural 
rebound  at  the  wrist,  but  no  change  must  be  al- 
lowed in  the  fingers;  they  must  be  held  firmly  in 
their  curved  position.  The  lifting  and  dropping 
movements  should  be  repeated  several  times.  The 
teacher  must  explain  to  the  Parents'  Class  that 
the  object  of  the  exercise  is  to  secure  a  right 
position  of  hands  and  fingers  with  correct  muscular 
conditions.  The  rebound  at  the  wrist  proves  that 
the  involuntary  movements  accompanying  the  vol- 
untary arm-dropping  movements  have  not  been  sup- 
pressed. 

To  the  Teacher 

The  Hand  and  Arm  Twisting,  and  the  Three- 
Finger  Exercises,  Physical  Exercises,  Nos.  2  and  3, 
ought,  if  possible,  to  be  illustrated  and  explained 
at  this  lesson.  At  a  following  lesson  as  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  work  of  conscious  physical  control 
and  development.  Physical  Exercises  Nos.  i,  15  and 
17  should  be  illustrated  and  their  object  and  im- 
portance explained.  By  a  third  lesson,  if  possible. 
Physical  Exercises  Nos.  8  (i.e.,  43),  9  and  14  ought 
to  be  made  use  of.  The  other  physical  exercises 
should  be  brought  before  the  class  if  the  lessons 
are  continued  long  enough  to  do  so.     The  teacher 

52 


must  practice  and  know  perfectly  the  objects  sought 
in  each  exercise  before  bringing  it  before  the  Pa- 
rents* Classes.  The  physical  exercises  are  so  foreign 
to,  or  rather  so  unlike  piano  playing,  that  if  their 
real  object  and  importance  are  not  understood  they 
will  be  ridiculed  rather  than  commended. 

The  subjects  considered  at  these  lessons,  it  should 
be  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  the  members  of 
the  class,  are  a  very  necessary  preparation  in  learn- 
ing to  play  the  piano;  the  assertion  should  be  boldly 
made  that  the  pupil  who  understands  and  makes 
proper  use  of  the  exercises  and  principles  explained 
will  progress  far  more  rapidly  and  accomplish  in- 
finitely more  than  will  the  one  who  neglects  them. 
We  want  parents  to  understand  their  importance, 
for  then  we  are  sure  of  their  assistance  in  getting 
their  children  to  make  thorough  use  of  them.  These 
again  are  among  the  things  that  are  thought  too 
small  for  the  great  majority  of  teachers  to  pay  any 
attention  to.  We  often,  at  this  point,  make  use, 
with  our  pupils,  of  the  following  quotation  from 
"Step  by  Step": 

"Do  the  little  things  well;  then  shall  the 
great  things  come  asking  to  be  done." 

— Persian  Proverb. 

Also  quotation  No.  25  is  very  appropriate  in  this 
connection: 

"Men  worship  success,  but  think  too  little 
of  the  means  by  which  it  is  attained." 

—Field. 

At  the  following  lesson  the  teacher  explains,  that 
after  the  quotations  have  been  recited,  the  teacher 
puts  questions  that  are  calculated  to  show  how  the 
thoughts  embraced  in  the  quotations  apply  to  the 
work  which  the  class  or  pupil  is  engaged  in.  Mind, 
the  teacher  explains,  is  thus  brought  into  a  piano 
lesson,  and  education  is  brought  into  the  study 
of  music. 

To  continue  our  ear  training  work,  the  teacher 
says:  "We  have  mentioned  thus  far  but  one  tone 
property;  there  are  others  which  we  must  now  con- 
sider.   Will  you  please  write  question  eight?" 

S3 


Question  8.  How  many  properties  have  tones?  Please  name 
them  in  order. 

The  teacher  will  say  to  the  class:  "Please  put 
this  question  to  your  child,  and  if  the  question  is 
not  correctly  answered,  you  must  explain  that  tones 
have  four  properties:  First,  Pitch;  second.  Length; 
third,  Power;  fourth.  Quality.  The  last  property. 
Quality,  we  have  already  considered  in  connection 
with  piano  tones  in  tune  and  out  of  tune.  That 
tones  have  the  four  normal  properties  named 
means  simply  that  every  musical  sound  has  some 
pitch,  some  length,  soma  power,  and  some  quality. 

"Pitch  means  fixed,  and  directly  concerns  Melody 
and  Harmony. 

"Length  means  duration,  and  directly  concerns 
Time. 

"Power  means  loud  or  soft,  and  directly  con- 
cerns Expression. 

"Quality  means  purity  or  harshness,  and  directly 
concerns   Expression." 


To  the  Teacher 

It  will  be  well,  in  order  to  make  the  tone  proper- 
ties more  clearly  understood,  to  appeal  to  the  ear, 
not  only  with  pupils  in  their  ear  training  work,  but 
also  with  the  Parents'  Classes.  The  following  will 
illustrate  briefly  how  the  piano  may  be  used  in 
training  the  ear  to  hear  the  different  tone  proper- 
ties. 

Directions:  Get  in  mind  a  slow  tempo  in  triple 
measure.  To  begin  with,  take  for  example  the  tone 
E  above  middle  C;  project  the  second  finger,  then 
let  the  weight  of  the  arm  and  hand  drop  onto  the 
key  from  an  elevation  of  about  an  inch  (use  natural 
weight,  mezzo  power);  strike  the  key  at  count  one, 
lift  the  hand  at  exactly  count  two,  at  count  three 
hold  the  hand  suspended;  at  count  one  again  drop 
onto  the  same  key  with  same  power  as  before, 
and  lift  the  hand  at  count  two.  Then  ask:  How 
many  times  did  I  play?  Of  course  the  answer  will 
be  two.  How  did  they  differ?  Answer:  Not  at 
all.  The  two  tones  were  alike  in  what  qualities? 
The  answer  should  be — in  Pitch,  Length,  Power 
and  Quality.     Again  play  the  same  tone,  this  time 

54 


C.4-   J^^c:K:\^^^ 


as  before  at  count  one,  and  lift  the  hand  promptly 
at  count  two,  hold  the  hand  suspended  at  count 
three;  drop  at  count  one  again  with  the  same  power, 
but  this  time  hold  the  tone,  sounding  three  counts, 
lifting  the  hand  at  count  one  of  the  following  meas- 
ure. Then  ask:  Were  the  two  tones  alike  in  the 
first  property?  The  answer  should  be — Yes.  In 
the  third  property?  The  answer  should  be — Yes. 
In  the  fourth.  The  answer  should  be — Yes.  Well, 
did  they  differ  in  any  property;  if  so,  in  which? 
Answer:  They  differed  only  in  the  second  property, 
i.e.,  in  Length.  Again  drop  onto  E  at  count  one — 
natural  weight,  mezzo  power — lift  the  hand  at  count 
two,  hold  the  hand  suspended  at  count  three,  drop 
again  upon  the  same  key  at  count  one,  but  this  time 
with  great  force,  lift  the  hand  again  at  count  two, 
and  ask:  In  how  many  qualities  did  these  two 
tones  differ?  The  answer  should  be — in  one.  Which 
quality  was  that?  The  answer  should  be — in  the 
third,  i.e..  Power. 

Again  drop  onto  E  at  count  one  with  great 
force  iff  power),  hold  the  tone  sounding  two 
counts,  lifting  the  hand  at  count  three,  drop  at  one 
onto  F  very  lightly  (p  power),  lift  the  hand  at 
count  two.  Ask:  In  how  many  and  what  properties 
did  the  two  tones  *last  played  differ?  The  answer 
should  be — in  three,  i.e..  Pitch,  Length  and  Power. 

If  in  the  piano  used  there  are  tones  in  perfect 
tune  and  others  badly  out  of  tune,  play  an  in-tune 
and  an  out-of-tune  tone  of  different  lengths  and 
powers  in  order  that  two  tones  may  be  heard  which 
differ  in  all  four  properties.  Practice  of  this  char- 
acter is  good  for  general  mental  discipline  to  se- 
cure attention  and  concentration.  The  pupil  should 
be  directed  to  answer  the  identical  question  or 
questions  asked,  and  no  more,  i.e.,  never  make  two 
answers  if  a  single  question  is  put,  or  one  if  two 
or  more  questions  were  included  in  one  question. 
This  makes  the  work  excellent  mental  as  well  as 
auricular  training. 

To  the  Teacher 

A  sufficient  number  of  examples  have  been  given 
to  suggest  to  the  teacher  the  many  variations  that 
may   be   made    at    the    piano    in    the    study    of    the 

55 


properties  of  tone.  In  addition  to  the  mental  dis- 
cipline to  be  gotten  out  of  the  practice  here  sug- 
gested, it  also  trains  pupils  to  listen  intelligently 
to  single  tones. 

The  teacher  should  now  say  to  the  class:  "To  return 
again  to  our  Technical  work.  Position,  Condition 
and  Order  have  been  touched  upon,  but  the  third 
ground  rule,  Action,  has  not  been  considered;  when 
this  has  been  done,  the  four  ground  rules  of  piano 
playing  are  before  you,  and  the  practical  exercises 
used  in  making  application  of  the  principles  em- 
bodied in  the  four  ground  rules  can  be  passed  over 
more  rapidly  than  have  the  principles  themselves. 
In  playing,"  say  to  the  class,  "action,  whether  of 
fingers,  hands,  arms,  or  body  is  of  two  kinds,  vol- 
untary and  involuntary.  Voluntary  action,  as  pre- 
viously stated,  is  the  action  which  does  the  play- 
ing— the  action  the  player  makes  by  his  own  vo- 
lition; when  certain  movements  become  a  habit,  they 
are  then  subconscious  volitional  action,  but,  orig- 
inally, every  playing  movement  was  made  in  obe- 
dience to  mental  dictation,  therefore  was  a  volun- 
tary action.  Accompanying  every  action  that  actu- 
ally does  the  playing,  there  is,  or  should  be,  the 
other,  the  involuntary  action.  This  latter  is  an 
action  that  makes  itself;  the  executant  has  nothing 
to  do  with  it — no  more  than  one  has  with  the  bound- 
ing of  a  rubber  ball  when  dropped  upon  the  floor. 
The  ball  is  dropped;  nature  does  all  the  rest  per- 
fectly, makes  just  the  right  number  of  bounds  and 
rebounds,  and  gradually  diminishes  the  space 
traveled  over  by  the  ball  each  time  it  leaves  the 
floor  until  the  ball  is  still.  The  rebounding  move- 
ments were  perfection;  they  were  nature's  own 
work;  they  followed  the  voluntary  drop.  So  it  is 
in  playing  the  piano;  every  voluntary  movement 
made  by  the  player  of  a  finger,  a  hand,  an  arm,  or 
of  the  body,  is  followed  by  involuntary  action  as 
naturally  as  the  bounds  and  rebounds  of  a  rubber 
ball  follow  the  drop. 

"There  are  volumes  expressed  in  the  words,  'Play 
naturally,*  but  the  difficulty  is  that  it  takes  more 
brains  to  play  naturally  than  to  play  the  other  way, 
*As  you  feel.'  Most  people  construe  the  expression, 
'Play  naturally,*  to  mean:  I  must  play  as  is  natural 

56 


to  me.  Nature  takes  no  lessons  from  men;  men 
must  take  instruction  from  her.  'Play  naturally' 
means  find  out  what  natural  playing  is  and  then 
play  that  way;  and  this,  as  before  said,  takes 
brains.  Any  one  can  play  as  they  please.  Nature's 
laws  are  fixed;  they  do  not  adjust  themselves  to  us; 
we  must  adjust  ourselves  to  them.  There  is  a  right 
way  to  do  everything.  This  has  reference  to  na- 
ture's provisions  and  ought  to  encourage  us  to 
search  for  that  one  way.  As  Joseffy  says:  'Who 
plays  well  must  play  right.'" 

The  teacher  should  say  to  the  Parents'  Class: 
"The  fingers  are  the  smallest  playing  members,  the 
arms  the  largest.  We  have  made  a  little  use  of 
the  largest  playing  members,  not  in  actual  playing 
movements,  but  to  show  the  meaning  of  voluntary 
and  involuntary  movements.  When  we  come  to 
teach  actual  playing  movements  we  begin  with  the 
fingers,  because  the  smaller  the  member  the  less  its 
action,   and   therefore   the   more  easily  controlled." 

In  teaching  finger  action  the  pupil  is  required  to 
sit  very  close  to  the  table  and  to  place  the  entire 
forearm  upon  it.  He  is  instructed  to  avoid  pressure 
in  order  that  the  muscles  may  be  in  an  easy, 
supple  condition.  He  is  then  taught  how  to  shape 
his  hand,  and  keeping  up  the  same  light  touch  of 
the  arm  on  the  table,  he  is  required  to  lift  the  first 
finger  very  slowly  with  a  perfectly  steady  movement, 
being  sure  that  as  the  finger  is  lifted  the  condi- 
tion of  the  muscles  of  the  hand  and  arm  remains 
entirely  unchanged,  i.e.,  that  there  is  no  increase  of 
pressure  upon  the  table,  and  that  the  hand  does  not 
turn,  i.e.,  that  it  remains  perfectly  still.  The  finger 
lift  must  not  be  too  great,  otherwise  muscular  con- 
traction and  effort  will  be  felt.  After  holding  the 
finger  still  in  the  air  during  five  counts,  it  is  then 
carried  back  to  the  table  by  the  same  slow,  con- 
trolled action.  (The  teacher  illustrates.)  Again 
the  finger  is  lifted,  but  this  time  by  a  less  slow 
movement,  i.e.,  a  steady  swinging  action.  The  finger 
is  held  still  in  the  air,  as  before,  during  five  counts. 
At  count  five  it  starts  back  to  the  table  with  the 
same  easy  start  and  swinging  motion.  (The  teacher 
illustrates.)  Following  this,  keeping  the  same  hand 
position  and   supple   condition   of  the  muscles,  the 

57 


finger  is  lifted  by  a  very  quick  action  with  no 
convulsive  effort  in  the  hand  or  arm.  The  finger 
is  held  still  in  its  uplifted  position,  which  in  play- 
ing is  called  stroke  position.  At  count  five  the 
finger  makes  a  quick  down  action  upon  the  table  to 
rest  position.  These  movements  should  be  repeated 
at  count  three,  at  count  two,  and  at  every  count 
(counting  eight).      (The  teacher  illustrates.) 

The  teacher  must  explain  that  the  acting  finger 
is  called  the  moving  part,  the  still  hand  the  sta- 
tionary part,  and  that  correct  finger  action  is  se- 
cured when  the  stationary  part  is  still  and  the  acting 
part  moves  with  all  possible  quickness,  being  held 
perfectly  still  between  movements  and  starting 
promptly  and  easily,  and  making  the  same  quick 
easy  start  in  its  up  as  in  its  down  action.  This 
principle,  i.e.,  an  equally  quick  movement  up  and 
down,  is  called  balance  of  finger  action.  It  is  the 
foundation  of  all  qualities  of  finger  touch. 

The  two  slow  finger  movements  made,  the  pupil 
is  taught,  are  not  playing  movements,  but  the  third, 
the  quick  movement,  is  a  playing  movement.  The 
object  of  the  sharp,  short  clicks  of  the  Clavier  is^ 
to  insure  a  clear  mental  conception  of  perfect  bal- 
ance of  finger  action.  The  teacher  should  here 
place  his  hand  on  the  Clavier,  and  making  use  of 
the  up  and  down  clicks,  should  illustrate  the  im- 
portance of  the  clicks  by  making  quick  up  and 
down  movements  not  faster  than  M.  M.  60,  going 
through  two  measures,  counting  eight.  In  the  first 
measure  pulse  notes  should  be  played;  in  the  second 
measure  half  pulse  notes.  The  class  should  be 
asked  to  listen  to  the  evenness  of  the  clicks,  both 
in  the  first  and  the  second  measure.  At  the  same 
time  the  statement  should  be  made  that  when  a 
pupil  is  taught  a  right  position  of  the  hands,  a 
right  condition  of  muscles,  and  right  playing  move- 
ments of  the  fingers  with  perfect  balance  of  their 
action,  as  is  easily  made  clear  by  the  use  of  the 
Clavier,  a  correct  foundation  is  laid  for  finger  ac- 
tion. The  pupil  who  starts  thus  will  have  little 
difficulty  in  acquiring  effective  passage  execution, 
which  demands  velocity,  clearness,  pure  tone,  and 
all  varieties  of  touch  and  power. 

The  teacher,  at  the  Parents'  Class,  will  illustrate 
with  the  first  and  second  fingers  only,  but  will  ex- 

58 


plain  that  all  fingers  should  be  used  in  the  same 
manner.  He  should  state  also  that  the  exercise 
should  be  practiced  in  the  same  way  with  the  left 
hand. 

Exercise  No.  6  should  next  be  illustrated,  first 
with  the  forearms  resting  on  the  table,  then  with 
the  hands  only  on  the  edge  of  the  table.  In  prepara- 
tion for  playing  the  exercise  the  second  time  the 
teacher  should  move  back  from  the  table  to  proper 
playing  position,  with  the  knees  just  out  from  under 
the  front  edge  of  the  table,  the  body  slightly  inclined 
forward  from  the  hips,  and  should  call  attention  tp 
the  position  taken. 

It  must  be  explained  that  in  this  exercise,  in  fact 
in  all  finger  movements,  there  is  very  little  involun- 
tary action,  still  as  the  finger  comes  in  contact  with 
the  table  or  piano  key,  if  muscular  conditions  are 
right,  and  the  hand,  the  stationary  part,  does  not 
move  up  or  down  with  the  movement  of  the  finger, 
there  will  be  a  slight  involuntary  action  which  mani- 
fests itself  in  a  little  vibratory  motion  of  the  hand 
and  forearm,  which  minute  vibratory  motion  is  the 
foundation  of  proper  tone  production.  If  the  hand 
and  forearm  are  allowed  to  rise  and  fall  with  the 
moving  finger,  or  if  the  natural  vibratory  action  is 
suppressed,  bad  tone  production  is  the  result. 

After  the  exercise  has  been  played  on  the  table 
it  should  be  played  on  the  Clavier  with  the  double 
clicks.  The  teacher  should  explain  the  order  of 
the  exercise,  the  number  of  lines,  the  number  of 
phrases,  the  number  of  measures,  and  the  num- 
ber of  counts  in  the  various  measures,  and  should 
state  to  the  Parents*  Class  that  pupils  are  required 
to  see  the  exercise  on  the  page,  to  study  its  form, 
then  close  the  book  and  describe  from  memory  its 
complete  order.  It  should  be  stated  to  the  class 
that  this  is  the  first  exercise  in  which  regular  order 
and  a  variety  of  counts  are  observed.  With  this  ex- 
ercise the  study  of  order,  the  fourth  ground  rule, 
in  connection  with  playing  movements  is  begun. 
This  work  is  continued  with  all  exercises  learned 
and  furnishes  the  necessary  mental  training  which  is 
the  logical  preparation  for  the  memorizing  of  music. 

The  teacher  now  requests  the  class  to  write  ques- 
tion nine. 

59 


Question  g.  Can  you  explain  the  difference  between  volun- 
tary and  involuntary  action  in  playing? 

Say  to  the  class:  "If  you  find  that  your  children 
know  nothing  about  this  subject,  it  is  quite  evident 
that  this  very  important  principle,  which  is  the 
foundation  of  good  tone  and  rapid  and  clear  execu- 
tion, has  been  neglected." 

To  the  Teacher 

The  questions,  which  have  been  prepared  for  the 
Parents'  Classes,  have  up  to  this  point  been  accom- 
panied by  quite  full  explanations.  From  this  point 
on,  as  the  four  ground  rules  have  been  presented, 
the  teacher  will  be  expected  to  study  the  principles 
connected  with  the  lessons,  as  suggested  by  the 
questions  which  follow,  and  give  such  explanations 
to  his  class  as  will  be  found  necessary  to  make  all 
points  clear. 

Question  lo.  With  your  hand  in  playing  position,  will  you 
point  to  the  first  joints  of  the  fingers — 
to  the  second — to  the  third? 

Question  ii.  Should  the  first  or  the  second  joints  be  the 
highest  when  the  hand  is  in  position  to  play? 


Question  12. 
Question  13. 

Question  14. 
Question   15. 

Question  16. 

Question  17. 


What  do  you  understand  by  the  poise  of  the 
hand?    Illustrate  a  right  and  a  wrong  poise. 

What  do  you  understand  by  the  expression, 
"Balance  of  finger  action"?  Can  you  give 
an  illustration? 

At  which  joint  does  normal  finger  action  take 
place? 

Explain  and  illustrate  what  you  mean  by 
stroke  position  and  rest  position  of  the 
fingers. 

Ought  the  fingers,  when  acting,  to  straighten 
or  contract  at  the  second  and  third  joints, 
or  should  these  joints  be  kept  quite  inactive? 

What  special  exercises  have  you  been  given 
for  gaining  control  of  finger  movements? 
Give  illustrations. 

60 


The  teacher  should  here  illustrate  Exercises  5, 
6,  7  and  10. 

Question  18.     What  exercises  do  you  practice  for  securing 
the  necessary  mtiscular  conditions  and  con- 
trol of  body,  arms,  and  hands?     Give  illus- 
trations. 
If  the  pupil  practices  no  exercises  for  this  pur- 
pose, there  is  a  serious  neglect  of  proper  prepara- 
tion of  muscles  for  all  technical  work.    The  teacher 
should  illustrate  such  exercises  as  Nos.  3,  4,  43,  and 
Physical  Exercises  Nos.  i,  2,  3  and  4,  and  reference 
should  be  made  to  Physical  Exercise  20. 

Question  19.  Have  you  been  taught  the  necessity  of  proper- 
ly balancing  the  weight  of  your  two  arms 
and  hands?    Illustrate. 

At  this  point  the  teacher  should  explain  that 
it  is  very  important  for  a  pupil  to  understand  how 
to  control  the  weight  of  the  two  hands,  the  one 
hand  against  the  other.  To  make  the  matter  clear, 
he  should  have  some  member  of  the  class  present 
the  two  hands,  palms  upward,  fingers  perfectly 
straight;  he  should  then  stand  before  his  assistant 
and  place  his  hands  in  playing  position  upon  the 
extended  palms,  first  resting  the  natural  weight  of 
his  arms  and  hands  upon  the  supporting  hands,  say- 
ing: "You  are  now  supporting  the  natural  weight 
of  my  arms  and  hands;  this  weight  gives  my  mezzo 
power  in  playing."  The  teacher  should  then  say: 
"If  I  change  to  a  lighter  or  heavier  weight,  I 
want  you  to  say  so  immediately,  and  explain  what 
the  change  is — also  state  whether  the  hands  are 
equally  or  unequally  balanced."  Following  this 
the  teacher  should  take  stroke  position  on  the  third 
fingers  and  require  the  assistant  to  say  whether, 
as  the  fingers  are  lifted  to  stroke  position,  there  is 
any  change  in  the  weight.  Changes  from  finger  to 
finger  may  also  be  made. 

Question  20.   What  exercise  or  exercises  have  you  been  given 
for  securing  a  proper  condition  of  firmness 
in  the  fingers?    Give  example. 
The  teacher  should  illustrate  Exercise  15,  and  ex- 
plain its   importance  in  all   effective  piano  playing, 
and  especially  in  the  execution  of  chords,  octaves, 
accent  and  phrasing. 

61 


Question  21.    What  exercise  are  you  given  to  secure  proper 
hand  action  from  the  wrist?    Illustrate. 
Exercise  17  should  be  played  on  the  table,  with 
the  forearm  resting  upon  it  and  the  wrist  supported. 

Question  22.    What  special  physical  exercises  are  you  given 
for  daily  practice  for  securing  strength  and 
endurance?     Give  example. 
The   teacher    should   illustrate    some    of   the   ex- 
ercises from  the  Department  of  Physical  Training. 

Question  23.  What  sight  reading  exercises,  separate  and 
apart  from  your  playing,  have  you  been 
given?    Give  examples. 

The  teacher  should  explain  the  sight  reading  ex- 
ercises and  their  importance. 

Question  24.    What  special  exercises  do  you  practice  to  de- 
velop an  accurate  and  a  positive  time  sense? 
The  teacher  should  illustrate  the  Preliminary  Time 
Beating  Exercise. 

Question  25.     How  many  kinds  of  normal  piano  touch  are 
employed  in  passage  execution?   Name  them, 
and  give  examples  in  a  five-finger  ascend- 
ing and  descending  passage. 
The    teacher    should    give    illustrations     at    the 
Clavier  of  the  legato,  marcato,  staccato,  non  legato, 
and  portamento  touches,  and  should  explain  the  im- 
portance of  a  perfect  mastery  of  these  qualities  of 
touch  in  all  passage  playing,  and  should  show  how 
easily  they  can  be  made  perfectly  clear  to  mind  and 
fingers  by  the  use  of  the  clicks  of  the  Clavier.    Ex- 
ercise 28   should   be   played  in   a   slow   tempo,  not 
faster  at  first  than  M.  M.  50. 

The  teacher  ought  also  to  stand  before  the 
Parents*  Class,  in  order  that  all  may  easily  see  the 
acting  fingers,  and  play  with  the  second  and  third 
fingers  on  a  book,  supported  by  the  left  hand,  the 
Preliminary  Touch.  Exercise  (see  Appendix,  Book 
I.)  explaining  its  object.  The  exercise  should  then 
be  played  on  the  Clavier  with  the  double  clicks, 
without  the  metronome,  as  slowly  as  M.  M.  50. 
The  statement  should  be  made  that  in  learning  the 
finger  control  necessary  to  the  correct  execution  of 

62 


the  various  kinds  of  finger  touch,  more  can  be 
accomplished  in  four  weeks*  practice,  first  on  a 
table,  with  eyes  and  thoughts  fixed  upon  the  hands, 
and  then  upon  the  moving  keys  of  the  Clavier,  ob- 

I  serving  carefully  the  relation  of  the  up  and  down 

I  clicks,  than  the  average  learner  acquires  in  an  equal 

ii  number  of  years  at  the  piano.    There  is  nothing,  it 

should  be  stated,  that  is  of  greater  importance  in 
piano  playing  than  a  perfect  touch.  It  requifes 
intelligent  mental  and  physical  control  to  learn  the 

i  finger  movements  demanded  in  effective  piano  play- 

ing, and  with  the  great  majority  of  learners  the 
tones  of  the  piano  are,  in  the  beginning,  more  a 
hindrance  than  a  help,  first,  because  the  right  kind 

\  of  exercises  cannot  be  used  at  the  piano,  and,  sec- 

ond, because  the  tones  of  the  instrument  call  the 
thoughts  away  from  the  position  of  the  hands,  the 
condition    of   the   muscles,    and   the    action   of   the 

\  fingers,  and  these,  in  the  beginning,  are  matters  of 

f  first  and  greatest  importance. 

^   '  Please  write  question  twenty-six. 

Question  26.    Can  you  name  the  intervals  of  the  major  scale 
in  order  by  steps  and  half -steps?     If  you 
I  can,  please  do  so. 

The  teacher  should  write  very  clearly  on  a  black- 
board, before  the  class,  the  scale  of  C  major  in  whole 
notes.  (See  Recitation  of  the  Scales,  p.  33,  Book 
I.,  F.  E.)  Slur  the  notes  and  write  step  and  half- 
step  over  the  slurs,  as  given  in  the  book.  Explain 
that  these  give  the  intervals  of  the  major  scale,  and 
that  all  major  scales  have  the  same  intervals,  name- 
ly, ascending,  step,  step,  half-step,  step,  step,  step,  half- 
step;  descending,  half-step,  step,  step,  step,  half- 
step,  step,  step.  Next  write  under  the  notes  the  figures. 
Explain  that  the  figures  give  the  scale  names  and 
that  all  major  scales  have  the  same  numbers,  name 
ly,  ascending,  i,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8;  descending,  8,  7, 
6,  S»  4>  3>  2,  I.  Next  write  under  the  figures  the 
letters.  Explain  that  the  letters  give  the  Pitch 
names  of  the  notes  of  the  scale,  and  that  the  letters 
change  with  every  scale,  thus  we  have  the  scales 
of  C,  G,  D,  A,  etc.,  depending  upon  the  letter  of 
the  first  note  of  the  scale. 

The  teacher  should  read  what  is  said  in  the  F.  E., 
p.  33,  and  in  "Step  by  Step,"  pp.  193  and  194,  and 

63 


give  to  the  class  such  further  explanations  as  are 
necessary  to  make  the  subject  of  scale  study  perfect- 
ly clear. 

To  the  Teacher 

It  should  be  explained  to  the  Parents'  Classes 
that  the  minor  scales  are  taught  to  pupils  in  the 
same  way  as  the  major  scales,  but  that  time  for- 
bids the  teaching  of  the  minor  scales  to  the  Parents' 
Classes. 

Please  write  question  twenty-seven. 

Question  27.     What  special  exercises  have  you  been  given 
for  equalizing  the  strength  and  activity  of 
the  fingers,  i.e.,  to  make  the  fourth  and  fifth 
equal  to  the  other  fingers? 
The   teacher   should    say   to   the    Parents'    Class: 
"If  you  find  that  no  special  attention  is  being  given 
to  the  work  of  overcoming  the  natural  deficiencies 
of  the  fourth  and  fifth  fingers,  you  may  be  sure  that 
a  most   important   matter   is   being   neglected;   the 
defect  may  not  be  apparent  during  the  first  year's 
tuition,  or  even  for  a  much  longer  time;  the  inabil- 
ity to   execute   rapid   scale   and   arpeggio   passages 
smoothly  and  with  even  flow  may  not  be  attributed 
to  the  inactivity  of  these  two  fingers,  still  the  seat 
of  the  whole  trouble  lies  right  there.     Had  these 
fingers  been  properly  dealt  with  in  the  early  tech- 
nical   training,    the    difficulties    in    execution    above 
mentioned  would  have  been  entirely  obviated." 

The  teacher  should  go  through,  before  the  class, 
Exercise  No.  16,  F.  E,,  explaining  carefully  its  use 
and  object.  Section  A  will  be  sufficient  to  make 
the  exercise  understood.  Do  not  fail  to  say  to  the 
Parents'  Classes:  **If  you  find  that  your  children 
are  making  use  of  no  such  exercise,  you  may  be 
sure  that  when  they  reach  the  point  in  their  play- 
ing at  which  a  smooth,  flowing  and  rapid  passage 
execution  is  demanded,  such  execution  will  be  im- 
possible; they  will  be  exceedingly  worried  over 
their  defects,  but  their  cause  will  be  a  mystery. 
Had  these  two  universally  faulty  members,  i.e.,  the 
fourth  and  fifth  fingers,  received  proper  training 
from  the  beginning,  the  pupil's  clumsy  fingers  would 
have  been  looked  upon  as  genius  fingers." 
Please  write  question  No.  28. 


Question  28.  How  many  kinds  of  normal  touch  are  you 
taught  to  use  in  chord  plajdng?  Name 
them  and  give  examples. 

Say  to  the  Parents'  Class:  "If  your  chldren  have 
no  ready  answer  to  this  question,  it  is  quite  evident 
their  mental  training,  at  least,  has  been  neglected, 
and  if  when  they  attempt  the  playing  illustrations 
they  show  no  definite,  well-defined  marcato,  as  dis- 
tinct from  their  legato  and  staccato  movements, 
you  may  be  sure  that  their  technical  training  has 
also  been  neglected;  but  this  is  the  condition  that 
the  majority  of  piano  pupils  are  in."  The  teacher 
should  illustrate  the  movements  necessary  in  the 
execution  of  three  normal  qualities  of  touch  in  chord 
playing  by  going  through  Sections  A,  B  and  C  of 
Exercise  41,  first  on  the  Clavier,  then  on  the  piano, 
at  the  same  time  explaining  the  movements  used 
and  calling  attention  first  to  the  effects  produced 
by  the  down  and  up  clicks  of  the  Clavier,  then 
to  the  tonal  effects  at  the  piano. 

Please  write  question  twenty-nine. 

Question  29.  Show  stroke  position  of  the  fingers  to  play 
from  the  wrists,  and  compare  this  with 
stroke  position  to  play  from  the  fingers. 

Say  to  the  Parents'  Class:  "If  you  find  that  a 
well-defined  difference  between  the  two  kinds  of 
stroke  position  is  not  clearly  established  in  the 
pupil's  mind,  you  may  be  sure  that  the  necessary 
technical  preparation  of  the  fingers,  to  avoid  blurring 
and  stumbling  in  the  attack  of  single  notes,  octaves 
or  chords,  either  by  wrist  or  arm  action,  has  been 
omitted.  If  there  is  not  a  clear  distinction  between 
the  attacking  and  non-attacking  fingers,  and  the 
fingers  are  not  thoroughly  trained  to  right  condi- 
tions and  positions,  and  that,  too,  in  the  very  be- 
ginning, lack  of  clearness  in  the  execution  will  be 
the  inevitable  result.  This  principle  is  called  prepa- 
ration." 

Please  write  question  thirty. 

Question  30.  How  does  scale  relation  of  the  hands  to  the 
keys  differ  irom  five-finger  relation?  Give 
examples  at  the  keyboard. 

At  this  point  the  teacher  should  state  that  ef- 
fective passage   execution  depends  not  alone  upon 

65 


the  action  of  the  fingers,  but  also  upon  the  re- 
lation of  the  hands  to  the  keys,  and  upon  the 
proper  carriage  of  the  arm.  The  principles,  rela- 
tion, adjustment,  and  poise  are  all  involved  in  pass- 
age execution.  If  parents  find  that  their  children 
have  no  definite  ideas  upon  the  subject  of  five  finger 
and  scale  relation  of  their  hands  to  the  keys,  they 
may  be  sure  that  a  very  important  principle  in 
passage  execution  has  been  neglected  in  their  train- 
ing, and  even  if  at  the  present  time — in  the  case 
of  those  who  have  only  been  at  the  piano  a  year 
or  so — no  serious  defects  stand  out  prominently, 
it  is  certain  that  later  on  no  end  of  trouble  will 
result.  If  there  are  parents  in  the  class  whose 
children  have  been  playing  several  years,  it  will 
be  well  for  the  parents  at  home  to  ask  them  to 
play  a  five-octave  scale,  hands  together,  with  the 
metronome,  as  fast  as  M.  M.  i6o.  If  the  pupils 
say,  "I  can't  do  it,"  admitting  they  cannot  keep 
their  hands  together,  and  cannot  play  fast  and 
evenly,  and  prove  this  by  the  clumsiness  of  their 
execution,  the  reason  is  the  true  principles  of  pass- 
age execution  have  never  been  properly  studied. 
The  teacher  must  illustrate  clearly  the  difference 
between  five-finger  and  scale  relation,  bringing  out 
distinctly  the  principles  of  poise  of  hand  and  ad- 
justment of  wrist  in  preserving  the  right  relation 
of  the  fingers  to  the  keys  as  the  hand  passes  along 
the  keyboard. 

The  Crossing  Exercises,  Exercises  62  to  64,  in- 
clusive, and  67  to  69,  inclusive,  should  be  explained 
and  briefly  illustrated.  The  teacher  should  say: 
"I  have  not  the  time  to  go  into  details  with  re- 
gard to  these  Crossing  Exercises;  I  will  simply 
say  that  the  pupil  who  is  allowed  to  neglect  work 
of  this  kind  will,  in  all  probability,  never  acquire 
an  effective  passage  execution.  If  such  execution 
does  come  to  one  who  does  not  have  systematic 
training  in  this  direction,  it  is  because  he  chances 
to  be  a  natural  pianistic  genius,  but  had  he  been 
rightly  taught  in  the  beginning,  he  would  have  ac- 
quired even  greater  skill,  and  that,  too,  in  a  frac- 
tion of  the  time  he  has  been  compelled  to  devote 
to  his  studies." 

Please  write  question  thirty-one. 

66 


Question  31.  Illustrate  the  difference  between  scale  and 
arpeggio  relation  of  the  hands  to  the  keys. 

"Parents  will  doubtless  find,"  the  teacher  should 
state,  "that  if  their  children  have  no  definite  knowl- 
edge of  the  principles  of  scale  playing,  they  will, 
if  possible,  be  still  more  ignorant  of  the  principles 
of  arpeggio  playing."  At  this  point  the  teacher 
should  illustrate  the  difference  between  scale  and 
arpeggio  relation  of  the  hands  to  the  keys,  and 
should  play  and  explain  Exercises  65  and  70. 

Please  write  question  thirty-two. 

Question  32.  Explain  the  difference  between  execution  and 
melody  touch,  playing  a  simple  five-note 
passage  first  with  the  execution  and  then 
with  the  melody  touch. 

The  teacher  should  remark:  "If  parents  find  that 
their  children  have  no  clearly  defined  knowledge  of 
the  difference  between  execution  and  melody  touch, 
this  deficiency  will  surely  show  itself  in  the  effec- 
tiveness, or  rather  the  lack  of  effectiveness, 
of  their  playing;  their  attempts  to  execute  pass- 
ages which  require  a  rapid  and  clear  execution 
will  meet  with  failure,  i.e.,  such  passages  will  not  be 
fast  and  clear,  and  their  attempts  to  bring  out  a 
singing  quality  of  tone  in  their  melody  playing  will 
also  be  futile,  i.e.,  the  tones  will  lack  the  necessary 
melodious  flow." 

The  teacher  at  this  point  should  explain  that 
passage  execution  must  always  be  taught  first,  and 
a  well-defined  stroke  position  of  the  fingers  must  be 
taught  and  tenaciously  held  to  until  the  habit  of 
a  perfectly  balanced  finger  action  and  sufficiently 
high  finger  lift  to  insure  clearness  of  execution  and 
the  necessary  degrees  of  forte  power  has  been  ac- 
quired. When  this  habit  has  been  firmly  estab- 
lished, the  subject  of  melody  touch  should  be  taken 
up.  At  this  point  the  teacher  should  illustrate  Ex- 
ercise 108,  Book  II.,  first  on  the  Clavier,  then  on 
the  piano,  and  following  this  it  will  be  well  to  play, 
or  have  played  on  the  piano,  the  Schumann  melody 
given  on  page  244,  Book  II.  In  giving  the  illus- 
trations, the  teacher  should  make  clear  that  in  ex- 
ecution touch  the  fingers  are  well  lifted  to  stroke 

67 


position  and  act  with  decision  and  freedom,  while 
in  melody  touch  they  barely  clear  the  keys,  and 
the  action  by  which  the  tone  is  produced  is  a 
combination  of  arm  and  hand  rather  than  finger 
action.  Great  care  must  be  taken  not  to  allow 
the  melody  touch  to  interfere  in  any  way  with  the 
execution  touch.  The  two  touches  and  the  means 
of  producing  them  should  be  kept  clearly  in  mind 
until  the  fingers  have  formed  the  habit  of  auto- 
matically taking  the  proper  position  and  making 
the  necessary  action  to  produce  the  effect  which 
the  musical  sense  demands.  Definite  and  intelli- 
gent work  is  all  important  in  acquiring  a  perfect 
execution  and  a  perfect  melody  touch. 

The  thirty-two  questions  here  given  ought  to  include  suf- 
ficient work  for  the  Parents'  Classes.  Of  course  these  ques- 
tions cannot  all  be  considered  at  three  lessons,  but  when 
found  advisable  and  possible,  the  number  of  lessons  may 
be  increased.  Thoughtful  teachers,  who  understand  the 
Clavier  Method,  will,  in  teaching  the  Parents*  Classes,  un- 
doubtedly see  the  need  of  introducing  other  questions  than 
those  here  proposed. 

ONE   FURTHER  SUGGESTION 

One  of  the  first  requirements  made  by  Clavier  teachers 
who  understand  the  method  is  that  those  who  have  played 
the  piano  for  years,  if  they  take  up  the  Clavier  work  with 
the  hope  of  improving  their  Technic,  must  for  a  time  give 
up  all  other  playing  than  that  furnished  by  the  Clavier 
Exercises. 

(There  are  a  great  many  teachers  of  the  piano  who  are 
obliged  to  play  the  organ  and  to  play  accompaniments  for 
soloists,  or  worse  yet,  for  choral  societies.  The  writer 
is  often  asked  by  teachers  thus  situated  what  they  are  to 
do;  they  say:  "I  cannot  give  up  my  organ  or  my  ac- 
companying work;  is  such  work  an  absolute  barrier  to  my 
own  technical  advancement?"  To  such  I  will  say:  It  is 
certainly  advisable  for  a  time  to  practice  nothing  but  the 
Clavier  Exercises,  but  if  you  are  so  situated  that  you  must 
do  organ  and  accompanying  work,  my  advice  to  you  is  to  fill 
your  obligations  as  organist  and  accompanist  as  best  you 
can  and  then  get  to  the  Clavier  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Before    seating    yourself    at    the    instrument,    make    use    of 

68 


Physical  Exercise  No.  20  for  relaxing.  Sit  five  minutes 
with  your  muscles  in  a  perfectly  relaxed  condition;  breathe 
naturally,  freely  and  deeply,  then  go  to  the  Clavier  and  play 
Exercise  43  two  or  three  times  through  the  hands,  first 
starting  from  the  thumbs,  then  as  many  times  starting  from 
the  fifth  fingers.  Follow  this  by  Section  D  of  Exercise  25, 
then  go  through  Part  II.  of  the  same  exercise.  Follow 
this  by  Part  II.  of  Exercise  26.  Next  play  scale  and  ar- 
peggio exercises  Nos.  73  and  74,  if  these  have  been  previously 
learned.  Use  mezzo  power  with  slight  shadings,  and  play 
at  an  easy  velocity.  The  Accent  Scale,  Exercise  94,  and 
the  Expression  Scale,  Exercise  106,  should  also  be  made 
use  of  in  this  connection.  A  half-hour  spent  in  this  manner 
by  a  person  who  is  earnestly  interested  to  do  right,  and 
one,  too,  who  knows  what  right  positions,  conditions  and 
movements  are,  will  certainly  improve  his  playing  in  spite 
of  the  errors  that  may  be  committed  while  doing  the  kind 
of  pla3ring  he  is  forced  to  do  at  the  organ  and  in  accom- 
panying. Of  course,  if  the  player  has  not  yet  reached  the 
advanced  exercises  suggested,  he  must  do  the  relaxing  and 
follow  this  by  simple  exercises  at  the  table  or  clavier,  which 
require  exact  positions,  supple  conditions  and  accurate  but 
easy  movements. 

MONTHLY  REPORT 

Mr.  Chester  H.  Beebe,  of  Brooklyn,  sends  me  a  Monthly 
Report  Blank  which  I  am  going  to  take  the  liberty  of  in- 
serting. Parents  who  are  sufficiently  interested  in  the 
progress  their  children  make  in  their  music  studies  to  at- 
tend a  Parents'  Class  will,  I  am  sure,  if  furnished  by  the 
teacher  with  a  Monthly  Report  Blank,  be  glad  to  return 
the  same  to  the  teacher  properly  filled  out.  The  use  of  the 
Monthly  Report  Blank  will  certainly  help  teachers  and 
parents  to  work  more  in  harmony  than  they  could  without 
it;  for  this  reason  I  favor  its  use. 

MONTHLY  REPORT  BLANK 

Note — Students  take  lessons  for  the  purpose  of  learning. 
If  the  desired  results  are  not  attained,  there  is  a  reason 
for  it.  This  Blank  is  for  the  purpose  of  getting  at  the  facts, 
that  proper  progress  may  be  made. 

Parents  are  requested  to  carefully  question  the  pupil  ac- 
cording to  the  following  form;  answer  each  question;  sign 
and  return  this  Blank. 

69 


Mention  some  of  the  things  you  have  learned  in  the  past  , 

month    I 

Do  you  play  any  better  to-day  than  a  month  ago?   Ans « 

Do  you  practice  daily  the  Physical  and  Breathing  Exercises 

that  have  been  given  you?    Ans , 

Have  you  understood  the  exercises  you  have  been  taught:  | 

what  they  are  for,  and  why  you  are  doing  them?    Ans.  I 


Have  you  practiced  faithfully  the  lessons  your  teacher  has 

given  you?     Ans. 

Have  you   read   over  carefully  what  is   said   in  the   Virgil 

Book  in  reference  to  the  exercises  you  are  now  doing? 

Ans 

How  long  do  you  practice  daily?    Ans 

How  much  time  do  you   spend  at  the  Table  daily?     Ans. 


H'ow  much  time  do  you  spend  at  the  Clavier  daily.     Ans. 
How  much  time  do  you  spend  at  the  Piano  daily?     Ans. 


What  is  your  present  rate  of  velocity  in  any  of  the  fol- 
lowing exercises:    25.  Ans 26.    Ans 

67.    Ans 68.    Ans 69.    Ans 

70.     Ans 71.     Ans 

How  many  measures  or  pages  have  you  memorized  since 
your  last  report?    Ans 

Do  you  think  of  anything  that  your  teacher  could  do  for 
you  that  would  help  you  in  your  work  that  is  not  now 
being  done?    Ans 

Questions  to  be  Answered  by  Parents 

Do  you  think  that  your  child  is  progressing  as  well  as  can 

be  expected?     Ans 

Do  you  think  that  your  child  plays  any  better  to-day  than 

a  month  ago?    Ans K  not,  can  you  give  any 

reason  for  it?     Ans 

Do  you  know  whether  your  child  has  properly  prepared  each 

lesson  according  to  the  directions  given  on  his  Lesson 

Card?    Ans 

Will  you  insist  that  your  child  is  in  the  outdoor  air  a  few 

moments  before  breakfast  and  at  least  twenty  minutes 

after  school  hours  daily?    Ans 

Parent. 

Date 

Remarks  


70  v'^'T^BR  A  t^  >- 


